Stanton Becomes Latest Orange County City to Ban Airbnbs

Stanton Becomes Latest Orange County City to Ban Airbnbs

At their Nov. 12 council meeting, Stanton city council members voted unanimously to approve the ordinance, which prohibits short-term rentals throughout the city and bed and breakfast establishments in residential and mixed-use zones.

Stanton officials are explicitly banning short-term rentals like Airbnbs and bed-and-breakfasts, citing resident noise complaints and parking issues.

This comes as cities across the county have tightened rules on short-term rentals in recent years because some neighbors say they attract a noisy party crowd that takes up parking while others say they allow landlords to bring in extra income.

Cities like Irvine, Garden Grove, and Costa Mesa have taken tougher measures against these rentals, while cities like Orange, Fullerton, and Newport Beach are regulating and allowing short-term rentals.

At their council meeting on Nov. 12, Stanton City Council members voted unanimously to pass the ordinance, which bans short-term rentals and bed-and-breakfast establishments in residential and mixed-use areas citywide.

“When the ordinance first came up for an early vote, I received a lot of complaints about rentals, primarily from residents about party houses,” Councilman Gary Taylor said during the Oct. 22 council meeting.

The ban comes after city officials last month extended a ban on new motels in Stanton — establishments that have often become hotspots for crime in the city.

Stanton resident and Airbnb owner Elizabeth Tran said at the Oct. 22 meeting that short-term rentals have been beneficial to the city.

“I think the city can also confirm that we don’t have a problem with Airbnb. We’re very careful with it and it’s been a great source of revenue for us. It gives me the flexibility to be able to homeschool my kids. It makes a lot of sense to us,” Tran said.

PM says handful of troublemakers do not represent KP

Council member Hong Alice Wan disagreed with Tran and said the city has received complaints.

“You’re saying you’re screening these people, and so it’s not having an impact, but we’re hearing conflicting information where we have a lot of reports from residents complaining about Airbnbs,” Wan said during the Oct. 22 meeting.

Wawan also expressed his concerns about housing within the city.

“From a city perspective, at least for me, I always try to make sure that housing is available for residents, and when you have things like Airbnb, you reduce the supply of housing,” Wan said.

According to the staff report, city officials have received and maintained a record of resident email complaints and messages regarding short-term rentals, including complaints about illegal parking, noise, trash and other nuisance activities.

The staff report also notes that in June 2024, an illegal short-term rental operator accepted county vouchers, which led to a lawsuit. County voucher programs were established to provide temporary housing in vacant motel rooms, typically in commercially zoned areas.

Stanton’s ordinance also appears to keep motels in certain commercial zones.

Santa Ana is another OC city that has banned short-term rentals, or Airbnbs, due to noise complaints and parking issues.

Next week, officials there will consider adopting a resolution that would impose administrative fines of up to $5,000 for violations of the short-term rental ordinance.