As the summer officially comes to an end, we hope everyone was able to enjoy and relax a bit.  Keep Neighborhoods First continues to work to influence the regulatory process in the City of LA. KNF has been working hand-in-hand with our allies to make sure that our voice is heard.  

Surprise Agreement with the Mayor

We were very surprised over the summer to learn that Mayor Garcetti had entered into a tax agreement with Airbnb. This agreement threatened the entire regulation process.  In response, we came together to send him a clear message. 


Image Courtesy of CBS Los Angeles

Let’s Talk About Caps

Murray Cox of Inside Airbnb and researchers at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy analyzed the data related to the correct cap for regulating short-term rentals.  To explain why a cap matters, they illustrate the impacts of a high cap. In fact, the research found that affordable housing will be lost if short-term rentals are permitted for as few as 60-days per year in some Los Angeles neighborhoods. And across all Los Angeles neighborhoods it takes an average of just 83 nights per year to earn more on Airbnb than can be earned in a whole year of renting to a long-term renter.

This chart looks at some highly impacted areas:

Lawsuits, Lawsuits and More Lawsuits

Airbnb has sued yet another city for imposing reasonable regulations. This time it is the City of Santa Monica. 

These lawsuits are a ploy to intimidate cities, evade accountability and continue a business model dependent on facilitating commercial operators who remove entire homes and displace long-term renters. If Airbnb continues to file lawsuits instead of following reasonable regulations that protect affordable housing, perhaps the effort to regulate should shift toward banning short term rentals entirely. 

Home Sharing Ordinance

We expect the home-sharing ordinance to be back in front of the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee in the coming weeks so keep an eye out for updates and calls to action.  

We are really proud of the role we have been able to play in shaping Los Angeles’ regulations and continue to count on you—our supporters—to protect our neighborhoods and housing stock.