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Residents press Simi Valley council for short‑term rental ban; council requests professional community survey
Summary
Multiple residents and neighborhood councils urged the Simi Valley City Council to ban short‑term rentals (STRs), citing petitions and a planning commission recommendation; council members asked staff to commission a professional survey to better gauge broader community opinion.
Several Simi Valley residents urged the City Council to pursue a citywide ban on short‑term residential rentals during the public comment period, while others urged a balanced regulatory approach focused on enforcement of nuisance properties.
Speakers including Alene Een and Anthony Een said neighborhood councils and petitions (reported as more than 430 signatures) support a ban and that the Planning Commission recommended denial of the legalizing ordinance and advised a ban. Heather Moss, who described herself as offering legal help, said the Planning Commission had voted unanimously to recommend a ban and argued that platforms and websites should be held accountable for listings. "A ban is the only responsible remedy to this chronic intrusion," she said during public comment.
Other residents, including Todd Taylor, urged caution. Taylor said a blanket ban would punish responsible homeowners who rely on occasional short‑term rentals for supplemental income and recommended targeted tools such as primary‑residence requirements, occupancy and parking limits, a three‑strike enforcement policy, and online listing identification to focus enforcement on problem properties rather than banning all STRs.
Council discussion did not produce immediate ordinance action, but a council member asked staff to commission a professionally run community survey on STRs to produce representative data for the staff report and the council’s consideration. The council member said they feared the council was hearing from a vocal minority and wanted an unbiased pollster to design and field the survey; the request was seconded and will be timed to be included in the STR staff report if feasible. The transcript does not record a formal vote on that survey request during the meeting.
Council members and staff acknowledged divergent community views and indicated the STR issue would return to a future meeting with more formal analysis and public engagement. No ordinance was adopted or rejected at this meeting.
