TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft an ordinance to increase the enforcement tools available for the City against party houses; including holding property owners responsible if they rent out their homes for massive gatherings that disturb neighborhoods, block the public right of way, and threaten public safety.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach has seen an increase of residential homes used or rented frequently for parties or gatherings. The loud or unruly gatherings at residential homes can negatively impact the quality of life for an entire neighborhood, and creates numerous public safety problems, including disorderly conduct, vandalism, public drinking, fights and litter of neighborhoods.
Some party organizers can now more easily rent out a house for a party due to the availability of short term rentals and the easiness in which an individual can now temporarily rent a house through mobile phone applications.
Long Beach currently has penalties under the City's Noise Ordinance to address loud parties, as well as penalties to recover costs for repeat offenses. However, these penalties are largely directed at the party hosts. There are few deterrents for homeowners to rent out their homes to professional party organizers. Other cities have recently amended their loud party ordinances to ensure that both the party organizers and the homeowners are held responsible.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
[Timing Considerations]
FISCAL IMPACT
There is not a significant fiscal impact with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER AL AUSTIN,
EIGHTH DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER SUZIE PRICE,
THIRD DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER DARYL SUPERNAW,
FOURTH DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER ROBERTO URANGA,
SEVENTH DISTRICT