Item 10 - Receive and File - Orange County Grand Jury’s Investigative Report, Findings, and Recommendations Regarding Long-Term Solutions to Short-Term Rentals

Home Browse Search

Long-Term Solutions to Short-Term Rentals Most ordinances require an emergency contact for each STR, but a review of hundreds of complaints between 2022 and 2024 shows that in a number of cases the contact does not respond either in the thirty- or sixty-minute required time frame. Warnings and citations may take up to a week to issue and are recorded in an STR complaint log. The STR operator may appeal the citation. Initial appeals are made through a city official or a third-party administrative officer. This can take some time, during which the STR may continue to operate. An ordinance without an appeals procedure may be challenged in the courts. The Grand Jury learned that in most cities, CE investigates complaints with a fair bit of leniency. First, the CE officer will visit the property and confirm the violation. The most common complaint is noise, and this violation must be observed and verified by the CE officer. Other complaints may involve vehicle parking, trash, and exceeding permitted occupancy. The CE officer often works through the emergency contact to resolve problems and often will issue a warning rather than a citation. Tools That Help Code Enforcement Accomplish Their Goals Cities that allow STRs would benefit from a system that geographically integrates STR owner contact information,permit, and business license numbers. Having this information readily available would enable CE to respond to complaints more effectively. Some of the third-party platforms offer these tools, but using a third-party platform requires a degree of technical knowledge and an investment in Code Enforcement training. Some cities accomplish this work with internal tools and staff. Beyond responding to complaints, CE in some cities proactively inspect permitted STRs and/or confirm the emergency contacts. These inspections confirm occupancy limits, ensure that safety equipment is onsite, and validate that no unpermitted construction has been done on the property. Legal Cases Uncover Gaps in STR Ordinances Recent cases up and down the state have established firm guidance for cities as they deal with STR issues. The Grand Jury identified a few cases that clarified areas of ambiguity in existing STR ordinances: 2024-2025 Orange County Grand Jury Page 10