Hermosa Beach City Council approves ban on short-term rentals
Hermosa Beach City Hall. File photo After one of the most crowded public hearings in recent memory, the Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to prohibit short-term rentals in the city’s residential areas. More than 60 speakers addressed the council during the public hearing on an amendment to the city’s code. The modifications would impose civil penalties, and eventually a misdemeanor, on those who lease property for fewer than 30 days in the city’s residentially zoned areas. The new law also makes it unlawful to occupy a regulated short-term rental, and to advertise one. The changes come as municipalities across the country adjust to changes brought on by the growing popularity of home-sharing websites like Airbnb and VRBO. Hermosa had an existing ordinance that city staff interpreted to ban the practice, but it was written long before such companies came into existence, and ambiguities made it difficult to enforce. Almost every supporter of home-sharing who spoke was willing to submit to regulation and pay taxes if the practice were permitted. But opponents argued that any potential revenue from permitting the practice would be outweighed by the problems…
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