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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 4 Public Comment_SuarezFrom:David Suarez To:eComments, PBA Subject:Short Term Rental Regulations - Comments Date:Monday, September 26, 2022 3:36:29 PM Attachments:Short-Term-Rental_Comments_David_Suarez.pdf Attached (and below) are comments I would like to share in person at today's Planning and Building Meeting. COMMENTS FROM DAVID SUAREZ – RESIDENT OF MORRISON PARK. My wife Martha and I purchased our home in Morrison Park in 2018. We did so because we loved the architecture in Santa Ana. The home we purchased already had a guest suite which we planned on using that space to host our out-of-town relatives, and to use it as a short-term rental. The income we make from it, pays for our property taxes and a small mortgage. We’re retired now and would not be able to properly maintain our 70-year-old home without it. In 2019 we started hosting travelers. Mostly from across the US, as well as Canada, Europe, and Australia. Over 80% of our guests are visiting Disney or a conference at the Anaheim Convention Center. There are only four Santa Ana hotels within a 3-mile radius of our home. These are the: Golden West Lodge 3.6 Stars Red Roof Inn 3.5 Stars Santa Ana Travel Inn 3.6 Stars Civic Center Inn & Suites 3.0 Stars As a group, the guests of these hotels rate their stay as a 3 and half out of 5 stars. Since 2019 we’ve hosted about 400 different stays. Over 95% of the guests staying with us, rate us at 5 out of 5 stars on AirBnB. The remaining 4% rate us at 4 stars. No one rates us below 4 stars. Why is that important? Two reasons: 1. To average 5 stars, you must have a beautiful home and offer great service. As an owner-occupied home, we take great pride in having a beautiful, well-maintained home. We were recently awarded the Most Beautiful Yard Award in Morrison Park. This type of care helps us achieve and maintain a 5-star rating. 5-star reviews are critical to all short-term rental hosts. 2. 5-star experiences equate to economic benefits to the community. Based on our personal recommendations, our guests try local eateries and grocery stores. We feel our guests would not be staying in Santa Ana, were it not for short-term rental hosts like us in Santa Ana hosting 5-star experiences. They likely would’ve stayed in Anaheim or at one of the surrounding communities that allow and regulate, short-term rentals. Of the 400 or so different stays we’ve hosted, not once has there been a disturbance or complaint. It would be interesting to learn if the Santa Ana police department has ever been called on a short-term rental home. I’d be happy to share proof of my statements, should you find it relevant. I’d like to see the planning commission propose regulations for short-term rentals that benefit City Government and the community, without imposing undue restrictions on the use of our homes. COMMENTS FROM DAVID SUAREZ – RESIDENT OF MORRISON PARK. My wife Martha and I purchased our home in Morrison Park in 2018. We did so because we loved the architecture in Santa Ana. The home we purchased already had a guest suite which we planned on using that space to host our out-of-town relatives, and to use it as a short-term rental. The income we make from it, pays for our property taxes and a small mortgage. We’re retired now and would not be able to properly maintain our 70-year-old home without it. In 2019 we started hosting travelers. Mostly from across the US, as well as Canada, Europe, and Australia. Over 80% of our guests are visiting Disney or a conference at the Anaheim Convention Center. There are only four Santa Ana hotels within a 3-mile radius of our home. These are the: Golden West Lodge 1.2 miles 3.6 Stars Red Roof Inn 1.6 miles 3.5 Stars Santa Ana Travel Inn 1.6 miles 3.6 Stars Civic Center Inn & Suites 2.9 miles 3.0 Stars And as a group, the guests of these hotels rate their stay as a 3 and half out of 5 stars. Since 2019 we’ve hosted about 400 different stays. Over 95% of the guests staying with us, rate us at 5 out of 5 stars on AirBnB. The remaining 4% rate us at 4 stars. No one rates us below 4 stars. Why is that important? Two reasons: 1. To average 5 stars, you must have a beautiful home and offer great service. As an owner - occupied home, we take great pride in having a beautiful, well-maintained home. We were recently awarded the Most Beautiful Yard Award in Morrison Park. This type of care helps us achieve and maintain a 5-star rating. 5-star reviews are critical to all short-term rental hosts. 2. 5-star experiences equate to economic benefits to the community. Based on our personal recommendations, our guests try local eateries and grocery stores. We feel our guests would not be staying in Santa Ana, were it not for short-term rental hosts like us in Santa Ana hosting 5-star experiences. They likely would’ve stayed in Anaheim or at one of the surrounding communities that allow and regulate, short-term rentals. Of the 400 or so different stays we’ve hosted, not once has there been a disturbance or complaint. It would be interesting to learn if the Santa Ana police department has ever been called on a short-term rental home. Due to the limited time, I am unable to share with you what our guests s ay about their stay with us in Santa Ana. I’d be happy to share it, should you find it relevant. In summary, I’d like to see the planning commission propose regulations for short-term rentals that benefit City Government and the community, without imposing undue restrictions on the use of our homes.