URGENT - Tonight, the Newport Beach City Council to Consider Expanding Safety Enhancement Period to Spring Break Including Possible Mandatory Permit Revocation for Violations
The Newport Beach City Council is taking up a public safety item today (Tuesday, February 10) that directly impacts short-term lodging permits on the Peninsula, Corona Del Mar, and West Newport. We apologize for letting this slip between the cracks – but there is still time to show up and be heard.
Why it matters: The City is considering a package of enforcement changes tied to “high-risk periods” (Spring Break and holiday weekends). NBSTRA supports safety and being good neighbors – and we support strong enforcement against bad actors. But the draft ordinance includes a “shall revoke” provision that would require permit revocation with no discretion to weigh the facts and circumstances of each case.
What the City is considering:
City staff is recommending the Council:
Adopt Resolution 2026-08 to implement Safety Enhancement Zones during Spring Break (March 14 – April 12) and expand the West Newport/Peninsula zone eastward (to B Street). Staff Report
**Introduce Ordinance Staff Reportng tonight; second reading scheduled for February 24) to expand enforcement tools during Spring Break and major holiday weekends. Staff Report
As the staff report shows, this proposal:
Expands the “Safety Enhancement Period” to Spring Break and changes the Boundary of the West Newport/Peninsula safety enhancement zone.
Add a new STR permit condition requiring that, after a “good-faith” notice of a violation, the owner/agent and a named renter age 25+ must appear in person at the unit within two hours.
Create mandatory revocation of an STR permit if, by a preponderance of the evidence, certain listed violations occur during a high-risk period (including noise/unruly gathering-related provisions and other offenses identified in the ordinance).
NBSTRA’s position
We support safe neighborhoods, safe beaches, and consequences for truly dangerous or chronic offenders. But a mandatory revocation rule is too blunt. It removes discretion to account for:
the severity of the incident,
whether the owner/local contact responded promptly and acted responsibly,
whether the violation is isolated vs. recurring,
and other real-world facts that matter when someone’s permit (and livelihood) is on the line.
Call to action
Tonight’s hearing in the Introduction of the Ordinance. Our lobbyist was there to speak on our behalf and specifically asked the City to change the “shall” revoke to “may” revoke. He also asked this to be discussed at our scheduled meeting with the City next week.
If the ordinance proceeds without changes, the ordinance will come back to the Council on February 24, and we need owners and managers to STRs in Newport Beach there and talk about what this means to your properties and businesses.
Written comments still help
Written comments can also be sent to the City Clerk at cityclerk@newportbeachca.gov. The City Clerk will forward these to the City Council.
Again, apologies for the short notice, but whether you can email tonight, or be there on February 24 for Second Reading, now is the time to speak up!
