Planning to rent out your patio to the highest bidder for this year’s Charlie Saikley Six Man Volleyball Tournament?
You no longer can, according to an ordinance that the Manhattan Beach City Council passed 4-0 last week regulating short-term vacation rentals in the days before and after this summer’s midweek six-man.
Councilmember Nick Tell was absent from the meeting.
Those wishing to rent out their homes between July 26 and August 6 are now required to obtain a permit from the city. To qualify, the homeowner must abide by a list of rules.
“We need tools in our arsenal, and we may not have to use it,” said Councilmember Amy Howorth, of the ordinance. “We don’t want people abusing our community and making it unsafe and unpleasant for our residents.”
The ordinance is the city’s latest effort to avoid the “drunk-fest-frat-party” that downtown Manhattan Beach had become during the tournament in recent years.
Last year, the volleyball tournament drew 60,000 people to downtown Manhattan Beach and prompted more than 30 arrests. The majority of the charges were alcohol-related; 23 were arrested for being drunk in public.
Last November, the council approved a midweek tournament – it’ll take place Tuesday, July 31 and Wednesday, August 1, instead of on a weekend – but decided last Tuesday to further prepare for crowds and parties by adopting the ordinance.
The $69 permit application requires the owner to designate a local contact person to be available 24/7 during the rental in order to respond if any complaints arise regarding the conduct of the guests during their stay.
The ordinance prohibits individuals from renting out their patio without renting their entire residence or renting the property to commercial businesses or corporations. In addition, renters aren’t allowed to charge a fee to enter the property.
Manhattan Beach Police Chief Eve Irvine noted that last year, a sponsor rented out a patio to host a party. “They charged people to go in, but wouldn’t let them use restroom facilities,” Irvine said. “Those people who had to use the restrooms had to go to the portable restrooms that were provided by the city.”
This left partygoers using residents’ backyards as toilets. “It was a nightmare for us,” 10th Street resident Kathy Smith said at a community meeting last August, about the six-man.
Included in the ordinance are properties bounded by First Street and the beach on the west, Ardmore Avenue and North Blanche Road on the east and Marine Avenue on the north. Council members briefly mentioned potentially expanding the ordinance in the future.
For those who can demonstrate that they signed a contract renting out their property before July 4, the ordinance will not be enforced. Property owners must notify the city of the preexisting agreement by July 18.
Failure to obtain a permit can amount to a misdemeanor complaint, which could result in a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, according to a city staff report.
Irvine said the ordinance would’ve been beneficial if it were in effect at last year’s six-man. “When we get those calls, it certainly helps us to be able to say, ‘Okay, where’s the person responsible, this looks like this one of those paid events, why aren’t you letting people use your restroom?’” Irvine said.
Councilmember David Lesser was initially concerned the ordinance was an unreasonable infringement on property rights, a sentiment shared by a pair of realtors who spoke at the meeting.
“I just think it’s a slippery slope,” said homeowner and Realtor Janet Schuman. “You’re just going to find it convenient to expand it and start telling me what to do, and I want you to stay out of my house and my home rights.”
But the council agreed that public safety prompted the decision. “I’m no fan of government sticking its nose in when it’s not needed, but in this case, public safety trumps everything,” said Councilmember Richard Montgomery.
