Say no to commercialized short-term rental abuse and yes to affordable housing.

The rapid proliferation of commercialized short-term rentals has created serious problems for Los Angeles’ residential neighborhoods, including those in Venice, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Mar Vista, Playa del Rey, West LA, the Canyons and the Downtown Arts District.

These popular destination neighborhoods attract visitors and therefore present enormous profit opportunities for developers who convert residential units into illegal short-term rentals. The scale of this abusive and illegal activity has reached crisis proportions, because the City of Los Angeles will not enforce existing zoning laws and occupancy ordinances.

These rentals cast an ominous shadow on the future of our residential communities, quality of life, stability, and rental stock.We work to protect our Los Angeles neighborhoods against the tide of this illegal activity. 

Specifically, we want to accomplish the following:

1) Protect neighborhoods now. We want the City to immediately enforce current zoning codes, summarized in this memorandum from the Department of Planning. This memorandum clearly addresses the prohibition of short-term rentals in single-family and lower-density multi-family residential zones in Los Angeles.

2) Raise awareness. Educate those suffering from and those participating in commercial short-term rentals about city codes, the requirements for short-term rentals in residential zones, and the consequences for violating them. Raise awareness of the abuses that online platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, Homeaway and their competitors facilitate.

3) Shape future regulations. Right now, companies like Airbnb and their lobbyist affiliates are attempting to influence legislation that favors commercial ventures over protecting long-term housing and neighborhoods. We want to make sure that we tell our side of the story by writing to our representatives, speaking at legislative hearings, and participating in local actions. Read the latest city ordinance.