NEWPORT BEACH : Wet Blanket Looms for Summer Parties

Summer may still be months away, but city officials hope to head off problems caused by renters of the summer party houses in West Newport by writing a tough ordinance that regulates those rentals.

The planned ordinance, which is in the draft stage, would make landlords more responsible for their renters and give them more authority to evict problem tenants.

“I live in West Newport, and we have a terrible problem,” said Councilwoman Ruthelyn Plummer during a special meeting with city officials, landlords and management company representatives this week.

“I have insisted that the city do something to stop rental abuse in this city,” she said. “The police can’t do everything. The responsibility falls to the property owner.”

Raucous house parties on summer nights in West Newport have been a traditional pastime for tourists--some of whom rent every year--as well as a notorious headache for residents, who make the beachside area their year-round home.

Dubbed party houses, units in the dense, apartment-filled residential area are often rented on monthly, weekly or weekend bases, with many renters hosting friends and guests for a few days of summertime partying.

The main “problem area” stretches from McFadden Square at 15th Street to the city limits, but rentals throughout the city--those between 15th Street and the Balboa Pier, as well as on Balboa Island--would fall under the new ordinance.

Police have reported that in past summers most of calls to the department were for disturbances in the West Newport area and were related to the party houses.

The ordinance would probably require landlords to apply for both business and use permits from the city. It may also change their status from that of residential landlord to something akin to an innkeeper, giving them more responsibility for their guests and more authority to evict them.

The use permit would establish certain conditions that the landlord would be required to inform guests about, such as occupancy and noise limits. It would also allow the city to revoke the permit, essentially putting the landlord temporarily out of business if those conditions are broken.

The city expects to continue meetings with landlords and management company officials as it perfects the ordinance. Officials want to present it to the City Council in time to take effect before the summer rental season begins.