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Manhattan Beach council declines short‑term rental pilot for 2026 World Cup after split public hearing
Summary
After hours of public comment and council questioning on enforcement and neighborhood impacts, a motion to introduce a temporary ordinance to allow short‑term rentals outside the coastal zone for the 2026 FIFA World Cup failed on a 3–2 vote. Staff had proposed a six‑week window, caps and operational rules.
Council members debated a staff proposal to temporarily allow short‑term rentals (STRs) outside the coastal zone during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but failed to introduce the ordinance after a divided vote.
Senior planner Jae Hee Yoon outlined the staff proposal, saying the plan would apply “from June 5 through July 17,” the six‑week window around the World Cup, and recommended a cap of 450 licenses with operational requirements including one license per property, a 24/7 local contact, posting of a city license number on listings, a maximum occupancy formula of two persons per bedroom plus two additional guests (not to exceed eight), and prohibitions on ADUs and guest houses. Staff also proposed administrative citations and expedited business‑license revocations to support enforcement.
The presentation described two cap options: a staff‑recommended cap of 450 (derived from the coastal‑zone share of existing licenses) and an alternative cap of 1,325 based on a community survey that measured residents’ stated interest in renting properties. Building official Ryan Heiss and finance director Libby Brett told the council the monitoring software had recently been re‑implemented and that administrative citations can run up to $1,000 per day; Brett said estimating Transient Occupancy Tax revenue from a temporary program was too speculative to present a reliable forecast.
Public testimony was mixed. Supporters including Chamber of Commerce representative Jill Lampkin and hotel owner Michael Zislis said a temporary allowance would help capture TOT revenue and support local businesses: “My hotel has been about 96% occupancy since it opened…those taxes really help fund our great city,” Zislis told council. Opponents raised enforcement, traffic and quality‑of‑life concerns; longtime resident Jim Burton warned that adding temporary STR capacity could “crush the downtown small‑town character” and stretch public safety resources.
After extended council questioning about vendor monitoring capabilities, enforcement tools, and neighborhood notice requirements, Councilmember Howarth moved to introduce Ordinance No. 26‑0001 to establish the temporary allowance. The motion failed on a recorded council vote (motion recorded in the transcript as failing on a 3–2 margin). The council did not adopt the temporary program at this meeting.
What happens next: staff said it will continue outreach and monitor enforcement tools and vendor performance; further council consideration of short‑term rental policy could return at a later date with revised proposals.
