FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif.—The City of Fountain Valley may become Orange County’s next city to ban short-term rentals, with the city council primed to discuss either banning the operation or adding regulations to the practice at their Dec. 21 council meeting. Short-term rentals are defined by the city as renting a living space for less than 30 days. Available options are commonly listed by homeowners on websites such as Airbnb and Vrbo. According to the city, short-term rentals are already illegal, given that they are not mentioned in the city code and therefore not expressly allowed. However, without an explicit prohibition in the codes, it is difficult to hold violators accountable. Also, renting out a room for less than 30 days is classified as doing a business, and all home-based businesses are required to have a permit to host and a license to do business. At previous city council meetings in …