Lawndale Tribune
AND lAwNDAle News
The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 79, No. 12 - March 19, 2020
Billy Mitchell Elementary School
Brings Peace to their Campus
PUBLIC NOTICES
Summary of Adoption of Ordinance 2198
Amending Chapter 17.74 of the Hawthorne
Municipal Code (“HMC”)
Re: Short Term Rental Permits.
Pursuant to Government Code section 36933(c),
the following constitutes a summary of Ordinance
No. 2198 which was approved and adopted by
the City Council at its regular meeting on March
10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Pursuant to California
Government Code section 36933(c)(1), the City
Council has previously directed the preparation
and publication of a summary of Ordinance
No. 2198 which amends Chapter 17.74 of
the Hawthorne Municipal Code establishing
regulations to permit and regulate Short-Term
Rentals in the City of Hawthorne as follows
Purpose of Ordinance. While short-term rental
activities have become increasingly common,
there may be some predictable negative impacts
to a city, such as increased noise and trash,
changes in the character of a community, and
decreases in affordable housing stock. The
City has an interest in protecting the quality of
life in single-family and multi-family residential
neighborhoods. At the same time, the City
has an interest in created an environment of
economic growth for the City and additional
income for residents.
Proposed Ordinance No. 2198 regulates the
location, duration and manner in which shortterm
rentals are permitted in order to protect
the residential nature of neighborhoods, prevent
non-conformity in commercial and industrial
zones, maintain the City’s supply of housing,
address nuisance activities and ensure that
the City collects TOT that is due.
Definitions:
Numerous terms related to short-term rentals
are defined in the proposed Ordinance. Of
note are the following:
“Short-term rental” is a dwelling unit, or
any portion thereof, offered for rent or rents
for dwelling, lodging or sleeping, for no more
than thirty (30) consecutive days in the city,
including single-family or multi-family housing,
as limited by this Chapter.
“Home-sharing” means an accessory use
of a primary residence, while the host lives
on-site, for the purposes of providing temporary
lodging, for compensation, for periods of thirty
(30) consecutive days or less.
“Hosted stay” means a home-sharing activity
whereby the host remains on-site throughout
the guest’s stay (except during daytime and/
or work hours).
“Primary residence” means a host’s primary
residence or usual place of return for housing,
documented as required by this Chapter. A
person may have only one primary residence
and must reside there for a minimum of nine
(9) months per year.
“Un-hosted stay” means a home-sharing
activity whereby the host remains off-site during
the guest’s stay.
“Vacation rental” means a dwelling unit that
is not a primary residence of the owner and
which is available for temporary lodging, for
compensation. The term “vacation rental” shall
not include: single-room occupancy buildings;
hotels; a dwelling unit for which a tenant has
a month-to-month rental agreement and the
rental payments are paid on a monthly basis;
or corporate housing.
Zoning
Short-term rentals, including both home-shares
and vacation rentals, will be permitted in the
R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 zones of the City.
However, vacation rentals are not permitted
in Regional Commercial, Local Commercial,
General Commercial, Mixed Commercial,
Limited Industrial and Heavy Industrial zones,
although home-sharing will be permitted in
legally conforming structures within those zones.
In addition, dwellings identified as “vacation
rentals” (not primary residence) in residential
zones may only be utilized as short-term rentals
for a total of ninety (90) days during a calendar
year. Vacation rentals are considered a less
desirable short-term rental option because
owners typically do not frequent the property,
creating a “transient” housing situation; as such,
the City wishes to disincentive this short-term
rental option.
Eligible Units
Short-term rentals will be permitted in (a) singlefamily
residences, (b) duplexes, (c) triplexes, and
(d) planned unit developments and multi-family
residential dwellings with no more than four
dwelling units. Short-term renting will not be
permitted in Section 8 housing nor in accessory
dwelling units (ADUs) and related structures.
The restriction for ADUs preserves affordable
housing stock and is consistent with new ADU
law effective January 1, 2020.
Permitted STRs per parcel
A limitation on how many units within a
property can be rented on a short-term basis
is proposed as follows:
One (1) unit in a duplex may be utilized as a
short-term rental.
Two (2) units in a triplex, or planned unit
development and multi-family residential dwelling
of three or four units may be utilized as a
short-term rental.
An applicant must designate the short term
rental unit annually if there are multiple dwellings
and cannot alternate between or among
dwellings. The purpose of this regulation is to
ensure that entire properties or buildings do not
become strictly devoted to short-term renting
and lose their residential character.
Application Requirements
A permit application will consist of a standard
form prepared by the Department of Planning
and Community Development. Information
solicited will include, but not be limited to, contact
information of the owner and/or applicant, plot
plan, proof of property information, and an affidavit
attesting that the dwelling meets certain
health and safety requirements.
Applications will be accepted and approved by
the Department of Planning and Community
Development; approved applicants will be
required to apply with the Department of
Finance for a business license as well as a
TOT Registration certificate. The applicants will
be required to collect and remit TOT.
The permit is not assignable, i.e. does not run
with that land and cannot be transferred to
another party. Changes to an STR activity will
require applicants to re-submit their applications.
Prohibitions:
There are numerous prohibitions in the proposed
Ordinance:
Only one short-term rental period, reservation,
stay or booking by guests per residence per
night, regardless of the number of bedrooms
available for occupancy, is permitted.
There is a limitation on the number of total guests.
No more than 2 guests per bedroom and two
additional guests are permitted at one time.
Short-term rental can only take place in areas
approved for residential use (i.e. no garages
or trailers).
Advertising signs on the property are prohibited
and events such as weddings, corporate events,
commercial functions or any other similar events
which have the potential to cause significant
traffic, parking, noise or other problems in the
neighborhood are prohibited from occurring at
the short-term rental unit as a component of
short-term rental activities
Hosting Platform Requirements
If necessary to assist with law enforcement
efforts, hosting platforms may be required to
disclose each short-term rental listing located in
the City, including names, addresses, length of
stays and price paid, subject applicable federal
and State laws that require a legal process for
obtaining such information (i.e., subpoenas).
Operational Requirements
There are numerous operational requirements
contained in the proposed Ordinance:
Permittees will be required to maintain the
dwelling in compliance with all federal, state and
local laws, including Title 17 of the Hawthorne
Municipal Code.
Permittees must provide at least one onpremises/
off-street parking space for the host
and one for the guest, with the driveway (if it
may be utilized as parking without obstructing
ingress/egress) serving as parking for the host
and/or guest.
There are also operational requirements related
to noise, trash, responding to calls regarding
the conditions of the property, guest log books
and inspection.
The City Council finds and determines that
there is no possibility that the adoption of this
Ordinance will have a significant effect on the
environment. Accordingly, this Ordinance is not
subject to the requirements of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to
Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15378 of Division 6
of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations
A certified copy of the entirety of the text of
Ordinance No. 2198 is available both on the
City’s website and also in the office of the City
Clerk, 4455 West 126th Street, Hawthorne,
California, and is open for public inspection.
Pursuant to Government Code section
36933(c), the summary Ordinance No. 2198
was published at least five (5) days before the
ordinance was considered for adoption on March
10, 2020 at a duly convened regular meeting
of the Hawthorne City Council.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LA
CITY OF HAWTHORNE
I, Diana Cucalon, the duly appointed Acting
Deputy City Clerk of the City of Hawthorne,
California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the
foregoing Ordinance No. 2198, was duly
adopted by the City Council of the City of
Hawthorne, CA, at their regular meeting of the
City Council held March 10, 2020, and that
it was adopted by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Awad, Valentine,
Monteiro, Talleda and Mayor Vargas.
NOES: None.
ABSTAIN: None.
ABSENT: None.
Deputy City Clerk
City of Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne Press Tribune Pub. 3/19/20
HH-26733
This week Billy Mitchell’s Peacemakers began their work as a team. Please give a big thank you to model students who are creating a positive school climate at Mitchell. Photo Lawndale Elementary School District.
“The people who are bullying you, they’re insecure about who they are, and that’s why they’re bullying you.
It never has to do with the person they’re bullying. They desperately want to be loved and be accepted,
and they go out of their way to make people feel unaccepted so that they’re not alone.”
– Madelaine Petsch