A study by Flipkey.com revealed that Santa Monica is the fifth most popular city in Southern California for short-term residential vacation rentals. City officials say they are trying to crack down, but the issue persists.
So, this week's Q-line question asks:
Do you have a problem with short-term vacation rentals and why?
Here are your responses:
"No, I don't have a problem with short-term vacancies as long as the people abide by the rules. I'm a former landlord in this lovely city of ‘Samolicious.' You know, this country was founded on freedom, and as long as you don't have people climbing in and out of windows and playing stereos loudly 24 hours of the day, I don't see what's wrong with doing a short-term rental. As a matter of fact, I think it's a jolly good idea."
"I have no problem with the short-term vacation rentals. I think it's just the city of Santa Monica being greedy, trying to get a piece of the pie. They're already going to have these tourists spend money at the stores and restaurants and resort places when they come visit Santa Monica. So, the city doesn't need to have that money."
"I would like to book a short-term residential vacation rental. I would love to have a kitchenette, a refrigerator, stove and microwave while vacationing for six weeks in Santa Monica. I vacationed in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. when I was a kid. In cold, wintry January or February my parents and I would be viewing bungalows with Mrs. Ball of William Ball Realtors on Ocean Avenue in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. and then decide which bungalow would be best for our summer vacation. I love the bungalows, beach, boardwalk, penny candy and salt air in Point Pleasant Beach. The horizon view from the bluffs of Santa Monica is awesome when the sun shines and even when it's misty in the early morning. I am for Flipkey short-term vacation rentals in Santa Monica."
"I have no problem with short-term rentals. Maybe if they were legal we would deep-six all the planned hotels the City Council and its financial supporters are pushing."
"I don't have any place I can rent out, so it doesn't do me any good."
"Private parties who offer short-term rentals to vacationers should have a business license as a sop to our money-grubbing, so-called city government. The objectors are developers and the pseudo-hospitality industry, also money-grubbers. Short-term renters should be required to follow the same rules as regular residents: create a nuisance and you're out. Some residents will offer objections citing increased traffic and parking problems, but the real perpetrators of these disasters among others is the unholy and recklessly destructive alliance between City Hall, the developers and the hospitality industry that prides itself on outrageously over-pricing its facilities. God forbid a vacationer would visit the slum by the sea for a reasonable rate."
"Vacation rentals are alive and flourishing in Santa ‘Moneyca.' The owner of my building of 30 rental units has been using at least four or five of these as vacation rentals. Across the street are pretty much all vacation rentals. And the luxury condo across the parking lot has been blatantly doing it since it was built. Both my building and the luxury condo brazenly advertise not only in local magazines, but on numerous vacation rental websites. I have reported it numerous times and was told that there is not enough staff to monitor the problem, there are easy loopholes to get around and are paying the fines because the rental fees the owners get are so lucrative in the end. Losing so many long-term renters to fly-by-nighters give us less people who give a damn about what happens to our city and the politicians in charge. Maybe the City Council and city manager like that idea. No one interfering with their horrible vision of what they want Santa Monica to be."
"I absolutely have a problem with vacation rentals in Santa Monica. In my neighborhood there are many apartments and most of us don't have air conditioning, so windows need to be open, especially in hot weather. It isn't a problem because, as residents, we all want the same thing — peace and quiet at home, especially after 10 p.m. Introducing vacationers amongst us is a bad mix. Anyone outside on a balcony will be making too much noise in my neighborhood at night because of the way sound travels. Sadly, most vacationers don't know our non-smoking regulations; imagine those partying vacationers drinking and smoking outside your bedroom window on a weeknight. Why should a hard-working resident be negatively impacted by partying vacationers? If your illegal vacation rental is in my Sunset Park neighborhood, I'll report you; I've done it before!"
