250 East 1st Street, Suite 1201; Los Angeles, California 90012 213.336.5900 betterneighborsla. org
confirmed active STR enforcement cases involved properties owned by an LLC, managed by a property management company, or owned by absentee owners. Below please find the growth in short- term rentals from 2014 to 2023.
As of March 2023, the most recent data we have available, there were 991 active STR listings in Santa Ana, making up 1.27% of Santa Ana’ s housing stock. 3 Short- term rentals have grown significantly over the last few years, and in the process have taken housing units off the long-term market that may have otherwise been available to long-term tenants or potential homeowners. According to the staff report, there are more than 700 STRs currently operating in Santa Ana. These 700 STRs account for 22% of the 3,137 permanent housing units that the City has identified as required by the 2021- 2029 Regional Housing Needs Allocation ( RHNA).
Ensuring that the prohibition of short- term rentals remains in place in the City of Santa Ana will safeguard this milestone in meeting the 2021- 2029 RHNA goals.
Santa Ana is not alone in their push to ban short- term rentals. Within Orange County, at least twelve cities have taken steps to prohibit short-term rentals in some form. These cities include the Aliso Viejo, Brea, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Nigel, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda, and La Habra. 4In Los Angeles County, the 3 Profile of the City of Santa Ana, Southern California Association of Governments, https:// scag. ca.gov/ sites/ main/ files/fileattachments/ santaana_ localprofile. pdf?1606012682. 4 City of Aliso Viejo: https:// www.codepublishing. com/CA/AlisoViejo/ html/AlisoViejo15/ AlisoViejo1514. html; City of Brea:
https:// codelibrary. amlegal. com/ codes/ brea/ latest/ brea_ ca/0-0-0-70791; City of Costa Mesa:
https:// weblink. costamesaca. gov/WebLink/ DocView. aspx?id=233471& dbid=0& repo= CityofCostaMesa; City of Fountain Valley:
https:// www.fountainvalley. gov/DocumentCenter/ View/16275/ Ordinance- No-1591; City of Garden Grove:
https:// ecode360. com/42535001; City of Irvine:
https:// library.municode. com/ ca/irvine/ codes/ zoning?nodeId= ZOOR_ DIV3GEDESTLAUSRE_ CH3-25SHTERE_ S3-25- 5VIMIIN#:~:text=3%2D25% 2D3.,of%20short% 2Dterm% 20rentals% 20prohibited.& text=section% 20Compare% 20versionsA.,zoning% 20district% 20within% 20the% 20City; City of Laguna Hills:
23 30 38
68 117 173 201 251
510
682
21 33 54 78
105
126 133
140
201
295
0 200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
AVERAGE ACTIVE SHORT-TERM
RENTAL LISTINGS IN SANTA ANA
Unhosted Units Hosted Units
Better Neighbors Comment Letter
Agenda Item 15: Repeal and Re-enact Short Term Rental Prohibition
250 East 1st Street, Suite 1201; Los Angeles, California 90012 213.336.5900 betterneighborsla. org
City Councils of Calabasas, Diamond Bar, Rosemead, Culver City, West Hollywood, San Gabriel, La Mirada, Lakewood, Rolling Hills, Redondo, and Lawndale all have short-term rentals bans in place. 5According to a study published in the Real Estate Economics Journal in 2023, in the City of Irvine rental prices decreased 3% on average following two years after the enforcement of their ordinance prohibiting short- term rentals in all residential zones. 6 This study illustrates the positive impacts a prohibition on short- term rentals can have on addressing the affordability of housing in cities within Orange County. Given that a majority of housing units within Santa Ana are renter occupied, it is likely that a similar prohibition on short- term rentals will protect further protect tenant households. 7
A ban on short- term rentals is only as valuable as the enforcement that backs it. To see positive effects on the housing and rental market, Santa Ana should adopt the resolution to enhance administrative fines for violation of the ordinance and implement a centralized enforcement system to administer them. In Los Angeles, high administrative burden and a decentralized system of the Home- Sharing Ordinance enforcement has led to rampant abuse of the short- term rental market. For example, in July of 2024, Los Angeles has over 6,000 listings that are noncompliant with the Home- Sharing Ordinance. 8 Between January and August of 2024, the City only issued 97 citations despite the high number of noncompliant listing. 9 With a prohibition in place and enhanced administrative fines for violating the ordinance, Santa Ana can ensure that the City has strong, easily enforceable rules in order to issue citations and maintain the ordinance’ s effectiveness.
https:// www.codepublishing. com/CA/LagunaHills/#!/ LagunaHills06/ LagunaHills0640. html , City of Laguna Nigel:
https:// library. municode. com/ ca/laguna_ niguel/ codes/ code_of_ordinances? nodeId= TIT9PLZO_ DIV1PL_ ART2COZOCO_ SUB ARTICLE_ 3REDI_S9-1-38GRHO; City of Villa Park:
https:// library.municode. com/ ca/villa_park/ codes/ code_of_ordinances? nodeId= CHXXIIIZO_ ART23- 3EFZORE_ S23-
3.5SHRMRE; City of Westminster: https:// library.qcode. us/lib/westminster_ ca/pub/ municipal_ code/ item/title_9-chapter_ 9_74- 9_74_020; City of Yorba Linda: https:// library.qcode. us/lib/yorba_ linda_ca/pub/ municipal_ code/ item/title_5-chapter_ 5_50- 5_50_030. City of La Habra: https:// www.lhhcity. org/325/Short- Term- Rentals 5 Calabasas:
https:// library.municode. com/ ca/city_of_calabasas/ codes/ code_of_ordinances? nodeId= TIT17LAUSDE_ ARTIIZODIALLAUS_ C H17.12STSPLAUS_ 17.12.175SHRMREOCPRPREXLAAPHOMOBEBRIN; Diamond Bar:
https:// www.diamondbarca. gov/Faq.aspx?QID=314; Rosemead:
https:// library.municode. com/ ca/rosemead/ ordinances/ code_ of_ordinances? nodeId= 900458; Culver City:
https:// www.culvercity. org/Have-Your-Say/Short- Term- Rentals; West Hollywood:
https:// ecode360. com/43916115? highlight= rental, rentals& searchId= 1904165411732459# 43916115; San Gabriel:
https:// www.sangabrielcity. com/ 1341/Frequently- Asked- Questions#:~: text=Shortterm% 20rentals% 20(anything% 20less, term% 20rental% 20or%; La Mirada:
https:// www.airbnb. com/help/article/ 2692#:~: text=Short% 2Dterm% 20rentals% 20in%20residential, not%20permitted% 20in%20L a%20Mirada; Lakewood: https:// www.lakewoodcity. org/Business/ Short-term-rentals Rolling Hills:
https:// library. municode. com/ ca/rolling_hills_estates/ codes/ code_of_ordinances? nodeId= TIT17ZO_ CH17.47SHRMRERE_ 17.47 020PU; Redondo Beach: https:// www.redondobeachtourism. com/news/ airbnb; Lawndale: https:// ecode360. com/LA4957 6 https:// onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ 1540- 6229. 12440 7 According to the City of Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element, in 2018 53.8% of households were renter occupied, while
46.1% were owner occupied,
https:// docs.google. com/viewerng/ viewer?url=https:// storage. googleapis. com/proudcity/ santaanaca/ uploads/ 2022/ 09/Housing_ El ement_- Complete- 9.16.22_Compressed. pdf
8 Data on file with BNLA from Los Angeles City Granicus data. https:// granicus. com/ 9 Data on file with BNLA from Los Angeles City Planning Department.
Better Neighbors Comment Letter
Agenda Item 15: Repeal and Re-enact Short Term Rental Prohibition
250 East 1st Street, Suite 1201; Los Angeles, California 90012 213.336.5900 betterneighborsla. org
The proposed ordinance will further codify the prohibition and continue protecting longterm residents. According to the City of Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element, almost half 48%) of all households spend more than 30% of their income on housings costs and thus are considered cost burdened. In addition, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the fair market rent for a two-bedroom home is $2,100, meaning a household would have to earn more than $40/hour to afford to house their family.10 As residents in the City of Santa Ana continue to bear the impacts of high housing costs, it is imperative the City protect and preserve housing for long-term residents.
For these reasons, Better Neighbors requests the City Council uphold the short- term rental ordinance passed in April of this year by repealing and re-enacting the Short- Term Rental Ordinance and adopting enhanced fines for violations. Should you have any questions, please contact Maura O’ Neill at maura@betterneighborsla. org.
Sincerely,
Better Neighbors LA & Unite HERE Local 11
10 Data for zip code 92701, https:// nlihc.org/oor/zip?code= 92701.