Current Status:
In a surprising turn away from a staff recommendation, the Santa Ana City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted against extending a moratorium on short-term rentals like Airbnb for an additional 10 months and 15 days.
Council members, spurred by residents’ uproar over a short-term rental in the West Floral Park neighborhood, on Sept. 15 adopted a 45-day emergency moratorium prohibiting new short-term rentals or the expansion of existing ones.
During the ban, staff has been “looking at several different models in several different cities” that regulate the rentals, said Hassan Haghani, executive director of the city’s Planning and Building Agency, and recommended an extension of the moratorium to develop appropriate use standards in Santa Ana.
Councilwoman Michele Martinez, who brought the moratorium up last month, said, “My goal is not to be restrictive, prohibitive and overreaching.”
Martinez proposed that the council, instead of extending the moratorium, move the short-term rentals regulation issue for consideration by the Development and Transportation Council Committee and that staff continue to study the issue. Council members unanimously voted in favor of her motion.
The committee’s work on developing an ordinance around the rentals would then be brought before the council for consideration.
Tuesday’s vote is one the council cannot backpedal on.
Under state law, once a moratorium isn’t extended, another ban on the same issue cannot be enacted, City Attorney Sonia Carvalho noted during the meeting.
Reports:
10/20/2015: Staff Report – Emergency Ordinance Extending Moratorium on Short-Term Rentals for an Additional 10 Months (City of Santa Ana)
09/15/2015: Staff Report – Emergency Ordinance Adopting a 45 Day Moratorium on Short-Term Rentals (City of Santa Ana)
09/15/2015: Public Correspondence – Emergency Ordinance Adopting a 45 Day Moratorium on Short-Term Rentals (City of Santa Ana)
News:
10/21/2015: Anaheim extends moratorium on short-term rentals, while Santa Ana lifts ban (Los Angeles Times)
10/20/2015: Santa Ana surprisingly ends ban on short-term home rentals – Anaheim extends moratorium on them (Orange County Register)
09/18/2015: Assemblyman Travis Allen Stands in Support of Homeowners and Property Rights (Voice of OC)
09/15/2015: Santa Ana halts short-term home rentals for now, while it considers a law (Orange County Register)
09/02/2015: Santa Ana City Council wants moratorium on short-term rentals (Orange County Register)
08/29/2015: Santa Ana vacation rental house becoming Animal House, neighbors say (Orange County Register)