Office of the City Manager September 8, 2025 The Honorable Maria D. Hernandez Presiding Judge of the Superior Court

I Locations that have hosted major events have reported an outsized increase in demand and pricing of STRs, a situation Orange County is likely to experience with the upcoming 2026 Los Angeles World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Response: The City of Buena Park agrees with this finding. Although this has not been the experience in Buena Park, there is a strong likelihood athat large events will increase the demand for both hotel and STR bookings.

The steady growth of STR usage in the last decade raises concerns of potential public nuisance. Response: The City of Buena Park partially disagrees with this finding. Buena Park originally adopted Ordinance No. 1675 to address resident concerns associated with problematic STRs, but Buena Park has not seen a substantial growth in the number or usage of STRs in the five years since its adoption of Ordinance No. 1675, nor have STRs been a substantial source of public nuisance in the City since.

Proactive home inspection of new and renewing STRs, which have been implemented in some Orange County cities, improve code enforcement and STR compliance with city ordinances. Response: The City of Buena Park agrees with this finding. Buena Park requires an inspection prior to commencing operation of an STR, an annual inspection for all operating STRs, and an inspection prior to renewal of an STR permit.

Direct remittance of taxes by OBAs does not capture all TOT for an STR because of direct booking practices. 6650 Beach Boulevard I p.o. Box 5009 l Buena Park, CA l 90622-5009 l[714] 562-3610 l Fax [714] 562-3770 I BuenaPark.com Response: The City of Buena Park agrees with this finding. While a comprehensive audit of TOT remittance from STRs has not been conducted, Buena Park believes it likely that a portion of the TOT remittance is not being captured as a result of direct bookings.

Some cities in Orange County have outdated systems fortracking short-term rental TOT making the process less effective and more difficult for staff. Response: The City of Buena Park partially disagrees with this finding. The City utilizes RentalScape (Deckard) for STR tracking and TOT, which it has found to be both user-friendly and effective for the City. Prior to use of RentalScape, the City utilized Host Compliance, which was also an effective soffware for tracking STRs.

In some cases, STRs are improperly recharacterized as long-term rentals to circumvent the collection of TOT and any applicable penalties. Response: The City of Buena Park partially disagrees with this finding. As regulated by the Buena Park Municipal Code, any occupancy that exceeds 29 days no longer qualifies as a "short-term" rental (or a transient occupancy) and is not subject to TOT.

Online Booking Agencies in foreign languages are outside the current capabilities of Code Enforcement to monitor and track unpermitted STRs. Response: The City of Buena Park partially disagrees with this finding. While the RentalScape software tracks over 10,000 STR booking sites, it is possible that there are booking sites, particularly in Foreign languages, which are not being monitored and could result in unpermitted STRs. FIO Cities that fail to routinely review their STR waiting lists potentially lose TOT revenue and contribute to a greater prevalence of unpermitted STRs. Response: The City of Buena Park agrees with this finding. Buena Park does not have an STR waitlist and instead reviews new STR applications immediately upon receipt, but the City agrees that delayed review could contribute to unpermitted STRs in the same way delayed plan check response or delayed building inspections could contribute to a rise in unpermitted construction.

City leaders have no regular communication with each other concerning STR issues, limiting opportunities to develop strategies and expertise to improve SerVICe. Response: The City of Buena Park disagrees with this finding. The Planning Directors Association of Orange County (PDAOC), which includes Planning and Community Development Directors from throughout the County, meet on a regular basis to discuss issues of countywide concern and share information and strategies for addressing those issues. Additionally, the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC), which includes City Managers from around the County, meets on a regular basis as well. At a regional level, the League of California Cities meets annually to discuss a broad range of topics, which has historically included discussions about short-term rentals.