Short-Term Rental Blues? Newport Beach Complaint Hotline Now Open

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Is that noisy nearby AirBnB driving you crazy? Now, Newport Beach residents have a bit more recourse in reporting non-emergency noise complaints about short-term rentals.

According to City of Newport Beach spokesman John Pope, a live answering service is now available 24-hours a day. Answering service operators will communicate complaints to the property owner or a designee as soon as they are received, Pope says. This service will also help the City track the volume and types of short-term rental issues that impact neighborhoods. As of this report, the City is not issuing new short-term rental permits.

The short-term lodging market boom has only increased with more travelers coming to Newport Beach, making reservations through Airbnb, Homeaway, and VRBO during the coronavirus pandemic. While diversified lodging options are needed for visitors and create revenue opportunities for homeowners, the City has regulations to ensure the interests and needs of everyone in the community are heard and balanced, the City says.

Residents are encouraged to call the answering service for any non-emergency issue that occurs on a short-term rental property, such as loud parties, noise, parking, trash concerns, and occupancy limit violations. Though the complaint line exists, if there is an emergency, residents should still dial 911.

Under new regulations adopted by the City Council in July, all short-term rental operators must provide a local contact person, either the property owner or a designee, to respond to complaints immediately.

Operators will report all complaints to the local contact person who must respond to the complaint within 30 minutes.

The Newport Beach Police Department will be notified if the contact person is unreachable. This includes reports of a disturbance, noise and parking issues, and Code Enforcement for all other matters.

The answering service is part of a short-term rental reforms package approved by the City Council in recent months. These include a prohibition on rentals to anyone under 21 years of age, occupancy limits that align with building and fire codes, and a requirement that property owners list their permit numbers in all advertising.

Property owners with questions about the service are encouraged to call the City of Newport Beach’s Revenue Division at 949-719-1997, or e-mail lodging@newportbeachca.gov

For more, please visit the City’s short-term rental information page.