City leaders in La Mesa voted unanimously to pursue regulations on short-term vacation rentals, citing a surge in nuisance complaints as the rentals reshape quiet residential neighborhoods.
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Brought forward by Councilmember Lauren Cazares, the La Mesa City Council asked staff Tuesday to review the city’s short-term rental landscape and recommend policies to tighten regulations.
As it stands, the city has no regulatory framework for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo according to a staff report. A residential property that is rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days is considered a short-term rental.
“Whether it’s excessive noise, parties, parking impacts, trash or a revolving door of visitors, these concerns are becoming more common,” Cazares said. “I believe it’s past time for La Mesa to evaluate what approach makes the most sense for our community.”
Currently, La Mesa has 650 active short-term rental listings, according to an Airbnb market data analysis.
Data-driven policy recommendations could balance tourism, neighborhood compatibility, housing availability, public safety and equitable tax collection, she said.
Potential enhancements to existing city regulations could include stricter quiet hours, parking and occupancy limits and the creation of a local responsible contact who could respond and arrive at a short-term rental property within 30 minutes of the first complaint, according to a staff report.
La Mesa isn’t alone in the fight to regulate short-term rentals. Cities and communities across San Diego County have pointed to what they describe as a concerning trend where vacation rentals are reshaping the local housing market and altering the community dynamic — with few checks and balances.
Other East County cities — such as El Cajon, Lemon Grove and Santee — have established stronger rules for short-term rentals.
The city should require vacation rentals to register their property and collect Transient Occupancy Tax generated by the accommodations, Cazares said.
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“This item is not about eliminating short-term vacation rentals, it’s about ensuring they operate responsibly and in a way that respects the neighbors who live next door every day,” Cazares said.
Councilmember Laura Lothian said she supported stricter rules for short-term rentals, but wanted to ensure they wouldn’t deter rule-following operators. “We are the wild west of short-term rentals,” she added.
La Mesa resident Britney Saminsky urged city leaders to adopt strong regulations on short-term rentals. She bought her home on a quiet private driveway serving eight single-family residences, but one of the homes is now operating as a short-term rental.
“The impact has been immediate and severe,” she said, noting increased parking congestion, noise, safety concerns, drunken drivers and damaged property since the home was listed as a vacation rental a month ago.
Positioned on a shared easement that was developed in the late ’60’s, Saminsky said the quaint neighborhood was not made to accommodate the visitors and vehicles that come with maintenance and operation of a short-term rental.
“Short-term rentals fundamentally alter the character of our community by introducing a revolving population of transient occupants with little connection to the neighborhood and no long-term investments in its well-being,” she said.
The City Council also recommended staff evaluate the feasibility of creating a voluntary Good Neighbor Certification Program that would recognize short-term rental operators who exceed minimum legal requirements through “responsible stewardship” by committing to preventing nuisance and promoting “positive neighborhood relationships.”
City staff will return with reports and proposed regulations in about six months.
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