Residents press Simi Valley council for citywide ban on short-term rentals
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Summary
Multiple public speakers told the council the proposed short-term rental ordinance is inadequate and urged a citywide ban, citing neighborhood safety, investor purchases of housing and gaps in proposed enforcement and safety measures; staff said ordinance drafting and attorney review remain underway and planning commission timing may move to March.
Dozens of residents used the Jan. 27 public comment period to urge the Simi Valley City Council to prohibit residential short-term rentals (STRs) citywide rather than adopt the draft regulatory ordinance.
Heather Moss, a long-time Simi Valley resident and local business member, told the council that neighborhood councils across the city ‘‘overwhelmingly want a citywide ban’’ and argued the draft ordinance contains ‘‘serious gaps’’ — including missing booking/turnover caps, no startup or routine safety inspections, vague occupancy limits and weak neighborhood notification. ‘‘An STR citywide ban is the clearest, most enforceable, responsible choice for Simi Valley. Please ban residential STRs,’’ she said.
Other speakers amplified resident concerns: James McGillis warned that investor-run short-term rentals could ‘‘buy so many homes in Simi Valley that it ceases to be a community’’ and urged the council to ‘‘stand with the people and ban short term rentals.’’ Several callers and neighborhood council members asked when the planning commission would review the ordinance draft and why some February planning meetings appeared at risk of cancellation.
City staff and council members responded in the council comment period that the city had fast-tracked the ordinance to neighborhood councils and that additional review — including city attorney review and interdepartmental coordination — would be required before the planning commission. Staff said the planning commission could see the item in March given the workload across departments and attorney review requirements and that neighborhood council feedback will be incorporated.
No final council action on STRs occurred during the meeting; councilmembers asked staff to review neighborhood council comments and complete legal review before scheduling the item for planning commission and subsequent council hearings.
What’s next: staff will continue ordinance drafting and legal review, take neighborhood council feedback into account, and provide a planning commission schedule update when available.
