Long Beach council advances home-kitchen ordinance, drops landlord sign-off from program rules

The Long Beach City Council on April 14 introduced an ordinance to establish microenterprise home kitchen operations (MECO) in the municipal code and approved program guidance that removes a required landlord or homeowners association written authorization as a condition of a health permit.

The move creates a permit pathway for residents to prepare and sell modest amounts of homemade food from their homes under a new Chapter 5.35 of the Long Beach Municipal Code. Judith Leung, the Environmental Health Bureau manager, told the council staff’s proposal substitutes an applicant self-attestation and post-approval notification to property owners and HOAs for a prior written authorization, arguing that approach reduces barriers while preserving transparency and enforceability.

“Not requiring a letter of agreement strikes a better balance between enforceability, access, and administrative efficiency,” Leung said, summarizing…