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Public urges Santa Ana council to reconsider short-term rental ban after OC grand jury report
Summary
Several public speakers told the council the county grand jury found short-term rentals are not a major driver of housing shortages and called for a regulatory, taxed approach instead of an outright ban.
Multiple members of the public urged the Santa Ana City Council to revisit the city's ban on short-term rentals and consider permitting and taxation as alternatives.
Anna Gomez, a Ward 3 homeowner, cited the 2024-25 Orange County Grand Jury report and said the report found short-term rentals (STRs) are not a major driver of housing shortages and can be managed with regulations such as quiet hours, occupancy limits and local contact numbers. "The report also found that short term rentals can be good neighbors when reasonable rules are in place," Gomez said.
Norbert Chen, who identified himself as an Airbnb operator from Cerritos, said he was "blindsided" when his city enacted a ban and urged Santa Ana to rescind the local prohibition adopted in April 2024. Several speakers, including Sherry Menke, urged a tax-and-regulate model and said bans often push rentals underground and forfeit transient-tax revenue the city could use for services.
Speakers provided context but the council took no immediate action on the issue at this meeting. City staff previously provided a report on the item; public speakers asked the council to request a regulatory framework rather than maintain the ban.
No formal vote on overturning the ban occurred at the meeting; speakers said further study and a permit system could address neighborhood concerns while recapturing revenue and making units subject to local enforcement.
