The City of Irvine has taken an extra step to reduce short-term rentals on properties in the Southern California city. The City Council unanimously passed a zoning code amendment to prohibit online platforms like Airbnb and Homeshare from allowing transactions within city limits. According to the ordinance, the platforms must prevent anyone seeking to rent an Irvine property for less than 30 consecutive days—or face litigation. “Our job is to protect the people of Irvine, it’s to protect neighborhoods, it’s to protect the quality of life that Irvine has become known for,” Councilmember Anthony Kuo said at the Jan. 12 meeting. “Whatever happened to knowing who your neighbor was? If you’ve got a short-term rental next door, you literally don’t know who your neighbor is. It might change every night.” Keri Bullock, the city’s neighborhood services administrator, pointed out that previous regulations adopted since 2018 have made an impact. In …