PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach is beginning the process of developing a proposed short-term rental (STR) ordinance, and the community is encouraged to get involved and provide input. This important effort will establish regulations for operating STRs, or vacation rentals, within the City. 

The public is invited to attend a community kick-off workshop on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, at the Recreation Park Golf Course 18 Banquet Room, 5001 Deukmejian Dr. The free event will feature an interactive presentation on the proposed STR ordinance, live polling, and an open house component to engage participants and offer opportunities for residents to provide initial opinions on the effort. Translation services in Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer, as well as light refreshments will be provided. 

An STR is a property that is typically furnished and rented for a short-term stay.  STRs can provide several economic benefits, including increased tourism activity and business revenues. STRs can also present challenges to the housing stock, and have adverse traffic and parking impacts.

In March 2017, the City Council, at the request of Councilmember Jeannine Pearce, Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, Councilman Dee Andrews, and Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, directed a review of the regulation of STRs, following the growth of platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway in recent years. Regulating STRs in Long Beach would require an update to the City’s Zoning Regulations to include safety and design guidelines, and transient occupancy tax (TOT) provisions which would generate additional revenues for the City. 

The process to establish regulations for STRs in the City will consist of extensive outreach and engagement activities to provide several opportunities for the community to give input throughout the duration of the effort, including a community roundtable workshop and a public review workshop. Additionally, an online survey will be circulated for the project team to gain substantive feedback and direction for crafting various STR ordinance options. The survey will be made available in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer.

Based on the community input received during the community outreach events, as well as a targeted case study of STR ordinances in other jurisdictions and an economic/fiscal feasibility assessment, an STR ordinance recommendation is anticipated to be presented to City Council in fall 2018.  

To learn more about STRs in Long Beach, sign up for notifications on LinkLB, and receive information about upcoming community meetings and events, visit: www.lbds.info/lbshorttermrental.

About Long Beach Development Services

Serving residents, businesses, and the community at large, the award-winning Long Beach Development Services sets a standard for high-quality, innovative urban planning and livability efforts that create more progressive and sustainable communities within the diverse City of Long Beach, CA. Through a variety of development, code enforcement, housing and neighborhood services, and building activities, the Department builds a better future for the City while also honoring its unique past. For more information, visit www.lbds.info. “Like” our Facebook page and “follow” us on Twitter.