Residents and hosts clash over short‑term rentals; movable tiny homes proposal urged
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Summary
Public comment at the April 6 council meeting featured divided testimony over short‑term rentals and a push to agendize movable tiny homes as ADUs; petitioners and neighborhood councils favor a ban while hosts and small‑business advocates warned of job and income losses.
At least two dozen residents addressed the City Council on April 6 about short‑term rentals (STRs) and a related idea to permit movable tiny homes as accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Ben Davis, president of Piccola Tiny Homes, asked the council to bring a formal agenda item to consider movable tiny homes as a regulated ADU option, providing sample ordinances and an application checklist he said could be modeled on other California cities. "My goal is simple: to show that this is not just an idea, but a practical path forward," Davis said.
On STRs, speakers were sharply divided. Several hosts described STRs as modest income sources that support families, local businesses and events; one host said his home has hosted more than 20,000 nights and reported only a single, quickly resolved incident. Others said STRs provide customers for local restaurants, help pay bills, and can be managed through strict house rules.
Opponents cited formal petitions and advisory‑body recommendations. James McGillis told the council that 430 residents signed petitions to ban STRs and that all four neighborhood councils and the planning commission had rejected the proposed municipal code changes and sought an ordinance to ban STRs. He asked for transparency about a March decision the council directed staff to conduct a professionally administered survey, including whether suggested questions were incorporated and how the survey will be run.
Why it matters: council members said they are hearing a broad range of views and that staff will prepare additional reports. Several council members praised volunteerism and community events mentioned during public comment and asked staff to schedule follow‑up reports on tiny homes and STR regulation.
Representative quotes: "I respectfully ask once again that this issue be brought forward as a public agenda item," Ben Davis told the council. "In late 2025, 430 residents of Simi Valley signed petitions to ban STRs," James McGillis said, urging clarity about a planned survey.
Ending: No ordinance vote occurred at the meeting. Council members said staff would return with research and next steps; residents on both sides asked for more public hearings and for any city survey to be transparent about methodology and oversight.
