La Mesa is taking its first major step toward regulating short-term vacation rentals, with the City Council directing staff to spend six months studying the issue and developing a policy, according to East County Magazine.

Councilmember Lauren Cazares introduced the item at the July 14 meeting, saying La Mesa currently lacks a permitting or registration system, operational standards and a way to collect Transient Occupancy Tax from short-term rentals as it does from hotels, the magazine reported.

East County Magazine reported that Councilmember Laura Lothian recently said there are at least 637 short-term vacation rentals operating in La Mesa, most through Airbnb. Residents told the council about noise, traffic, parking and safety concerns tied to rentals in residential neighborhoods.

The issue has a direct East County comparison point: neighboring jurisdictions, including Santee, Lemon Grove and El Cajon, already have short-term rental ordinances in place. Those rules vary by city but commonly include permit caps, occupancy limits and requirements tied to where hosts live.

City staff is expected to study La Mesa's short-term rental landscape, gather stakeholder input and review policies from comparable cities before returning with proposed regulations. Source: East County Magazine.