NATIONAL CITY (KGTV) — A new National City law targeting crime at short-term rental properties takes effect next week, requiring operators to obtain permits and maintain around-the-clock oversight of their properties.
National City's City Council unanimously passed the ordinance last September. It caps short-term rentals citywide in National City at 180 units — 45 per council district.
New and existing operators must apply for permits on a first-come, first-served basis and comply with rules, including noise restrictions from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The City said existing short-term rentals will not be grandfathered into the program.
Councilmember Jose Rodriguez has been a leading advocate for the crackdown. He said unsupervised properties listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO had become locations for criminal activity.
"We had short-term rental properties that were being used for illicit activities, including human trafficking, parties, shootings, stabbings, and sometimes drug consumption," Rodriguez said.
In a public records request ABC 10News requested from the National City Police Department, there have been 103 calls for service related to Airbnb alone since 2022. Many of the call types were listed as prostitution, shots fired, disturbances, assaults, and more.
Rodriguez said the new law is designed to hold property owners directly accountable.
"This ordinance will make sure that the owners of the properties are responsible to who they rent to and make sure that there is somebody on-site or available 24 hours a day in case there are any issues," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also said the ordinance benefits operators who already run their properties responsibly.
"I think this actually does a service to those that operate properties professionally," Rodriguez said. "I think this actually dissuades the bad owners from operating in our city."
A woman who lives near a short-term rental property near Civic Center Drive spoke about what she has witnessed, asking to remain anonymous for safety reasons. She said she has never seen the property owner check on the rental in person. The rental was also recently the scene of a shooting.
"There's a lot of partying, there's a lot of girls coming in and out of the cars half-nude," she said. "Even though he [the owner] has cameras, it doesn't mean that he shouldn't come by and see visually what's going on."
The permit application is expected to go live on the city's website next week.
National City is using a San Diego-based third-party company called Deckard Technologies to process the applications.
ABC 10News reached out to both Airbnb and VRBO for comment on the new law and is still waiting to hear back.
To apply for the permit, click here: https://www.nationalcityca.gov/government/community-development/planning/short-term-rental-ordinance
Rodriguez said anyone who violates the permit terms will be charged a fine, and violations can cost up to $1500, including permit revocation.
