Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/homeaway/)
Changes approved by a split city council Tuesday are compromises that city staff say will lead to a settlement of a lawsuit, but they also could extend the time some rental owners were given to phase out their businesses.
At a recent meeting, city council members made tweaks to the city’s ban on short-term rentals that were largely in response to lawsuits filed by operators and hosting platforms. Some residents say they felt blindsided by the changes.
An alliance of short term rental owners in Anaheim have filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s ban on the home rentals, joining the web platforms AirBnB and HomeAway in fighting the new law.
The two websites that host online listings for short term rentals, filed lawsuits last week against the City of Anaheim for an ordinance that fines websites for hosting the ads of home shares operating without a city permit.
As websites like Airbnb have created a boom in short-term rentals, council members want to update the city’s rules on when and how private homes can be rented out. But they want to study the issue first.
Faced with a deluge of complaints from residents, city councils in both cities hit the breaks on the fast growing short term rental business.