MALIBU—On Wednesday, July 29, the Malibu City Council will hold a special meeting to consider multiple amendments to the regulations of short-term rentals within the city.

The two main amendments the city will be considering are a Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA) and a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA), both regulating short-term, under 30-day rentals.

The ZTA and LCPA are designed to, “incorporate key features from Santa Monica’s ordinance” regulating short-term rentals, as stated in a City Council agenda report. The amendments would require a host to live on the property during the entire duration of a short-term rental.

City Council specified stated that “it wanted an onsite presence during the rental but did not want to require the host to be within the rented unit itself.” The council continued clarifying that although the host would have to live on the property, the host would be not required to be in the same dwelling. The on-site host is also not required to be the owner of the property.

In opposition to the Santa Monica ordinances, the short-term rentals are modeled off of, Malibu’s proposed amendments allow multi-family rentals without a host in a specific situation. Malibu’s agenda report on the amendment reads, “up to two multifamily dwelling units on a property may be rented unhosted so long as the other units on the property are rented on a long-term basis.”

The amendments would also require that once a short-term rental permit is issued, all neighbors within 500 feet of the residence would be issued the contact information of the host in the event an issue should arise.

If passed, the amendment would eliminate the ability for residents to Airbnb single dwelling homes unless a host is present. In 2019, the city of Santa Monica settled a lawsuit with Airbnb that guaranteed all Airbnb housing would be in compliance with their home-sharing ordinances.

The process to amend short-term rental regulation began three years ago when the council considered a ZTA and an LCPA in a November 2017 and March 2018 meeting after community complaints regarding noise and other issues.

Resident Alexis Byfuglin wrote in an email to the City Council, “I am next door to a single owner home and he is renting air b & b, almost two to three persons or families a day. There is constant cars coming and going at all hours of the night.”

In December 2019, city council again heard an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals after community meetings. During tomorrow’s virtual meeting, the council will have the opportunity to adopt the amendments. The recommended action in the Malibu City Council agenda report of the proposed amendments is the adoption of the amendments.

For information on how to view and participate in the virtual meeting at 6:30 p.m., on July 29, click here.