Mission Beach is experiencing the unintended consequences of the City Council’s Tier 4 short‑term rental policy, and the results are harming both residents and local businesses. For decades, our community relied on 400-500 summer/winter rentals that maintained near 100% occupancy year‑round. This stable system supported students, workers and the 145 small businesses that depend on a consistent winter population.
But from 2010 to 2018, whole‑home short-term rentals surged to roughly 1,800 units, displacing 2,500-3,000 long‑term residents. Today, according to AirDNA, their occupancy reaches 86% in summer but falls below 50% in winter. Mission Beach now suffers the worst of both worlds: thousands of residents gone and hundreds of these rentals sitting empty for months. Local businesses report winter revenue drops of up to 40%. This is not sustainable.
The City Council created the Tier 4 framework, and it now has a responsibility to address the damage it has caused to Mission Beach’s year‑round economy and community stability.
— Gary Wonacott, San Diego