The Horror Of Short-Term Rentals Comes Home to Simi Valley
In 1959, When I first saw Simi Valley, California, the population was 8,000. I visited Corriganville Movie Ranch, where Rin Tin Tin was wrapping up filming of a fifth successful TV season. Yet untouched by wildfire, the iconic “Fort Apache” still stood. At the time, I had no idea where I was, but it felt like the Wild West.In the 1960s, my barber in Burbank purchased a new home in Simi Valley. To travel from Burbank to his new home, he had to navigate the narrow and dangerous Santa Susana Pass. Although paved, the route was unchanged since its origins as a stagecoach road in 1861.
By 1969, when the City of Simi Valley incorporated, new home construction had accelerated dramatically. In 1970, the population had jumped to 60,000. By today’s standards, land was cheap, lumber was plentiful, and construction costs were a fraction of what they are today. In 1979, the 118 Freeway, known as the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Ventura County, surmounted Rocky Peak. That ushered in a new era of high-speed travel between the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. Once again, the residential land rush surged. By 1980 the population reached 77,500 and the focus was on construction of single-family ranch style homes.In 1982, an unheralded event took place at 4267 Roxbury Street in Simi Valley. There, at an unassuming suburban house, Tobe Hooper filmed Poltergeist, a supernatural horror film written by Steven Spielberg. Other than the usual hubbub caused by filming, almost no one remembered that
anything out of the ordinary had ever happened on Roxbury Street. In the movie’s most famous scene, child actor Heather O’Rourke said hauntingly, “They’re Back.”And now, they “are back.” For only $1,376, you can spend the night at the selfsame “Poltergeist House.” After an intense bidding war, sale of the property resulted in it becoming an illegal short-term rental (STR). Now, included with every stay are icy stares from all the neighbors on Roxbury Street. Rest assured that STRs are not legal in Simi Valley, but the City Council has decided to look the other way. Now anyone with the money can buy a house in Simi Valley, rent it out nightly for an outrageous sum, and pocket all the cash. There are no transient occupancy taxes or city registration required.
If you and your “crew” want to stay close to the action, then Simi Valley is the place to be. There are no limits regarding the number of occupants, so invite all your friends to party hearty in Simi Valley. If you plan to “boost” your income while staying here, there is a Home Depot nearby. If you think the Hollywood Hills are hot, you do not know Simi Valley. Here you can rent a suburban home in a formerly quiet neighborhood and remain undetected by local police. If you were not a Simi Valley “booster” before, you will be soon.Recently, the Ventura County district attorney indicted at least fourteen people for over six hundred retail thefts at Home Depot locations throughout Southern California. Not surprisingly, the Home Depot in Simi Valley was a favorite of the “crew” that stole $10 million in merchandise from the home improvement chain.
Whether your “crew” is looking for “fencing” or just to “boost” your inventory of electrical components, here is the plan. Purchase a prepaid debit card, create a new online persona, and borrow a work truck from friends of your crew. Then, book a short-term rental on a quiet residential street in Simi Valley. Get a good night’s sleep, then wake up early and head for the Home Depot. Even in summer, wear a bulky parka to stash your high value electrical components. When it is time to check out, use your spotter to call and indicate that the coast is clear. Then, head out to your work truck, drive a block away and unload your goods into the tool bins. If you have sufficient time, head for the Oxnard Home Depot, or go right back into the Simi Valley location and repeat the process.When it is time to head to your home-base in the San Fernando Valley, no matter how hungry you are, do not stop at the In-N-Out Burger at Stearns Street. In the median by the entrance, there is a license plate reader camera that could bring the police running. Just obey the speed limit and drive back over Rocky Peak as if you are a real contractor.
At a recent meeting, the Simi Valley City Council unanimously agreed to provide $70,000 per year to the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. This taxpayer money will help promote local businesses and an annual street fair. At the fair, you can rent a space and sell all your recently “boosted” products back to the residents of Simi Valley. Prior to funding this “business promotion business,” the city should require the Chamber to explicitly state its opposition to short-term rentals. The Chamber should instead offer its full support to the legitimate hotels and motels in Simi Valley.Now in 2025, the 125,000 residents of Simi Valley have a choice to make. Will they allow their City Council to “whistle past the graveyard” that is the Poltergeist theme house? Will the City Council continue to ignore its primary function, which is to provide "a safe and healthy living environment" for its citizens? My bet is that they will kick the can down the road. Soon enough, it will be too late to do more than register and tax a horde of “hotels next door.” After all these years, isn’t Simi Valley still the Wild West?
