Airbnb in los angeles (legal, tax, etc)

in between tenants (i didn’t evict anybody or something crazy like that) on the second unit on my property (echo park, covered by rent control) and i’ve been airbnb-ing it for about a month. can anybody give me some ideas on what i need to get in order, and potential legal issues?

You need to register with the Office of Finance to pay your monthly Transient Occupancy Tax.

Here is a link to the website:

http://finance.lacity.org/

There is a proposal currently being reviewed by the Los Angeles City Council. It would limit rentals to the hosts’ primary residence and it would prohibit rental of any property that is under rent control among other regulations. Here is a link.

hey, ellen. thanks for the info. after clicking all over your link - and the whole web - i can’t find the correct form for TOT. any more specific info?

After many insanely frustrating telephone calls with Office of Finance employees, we discerned that the proper form for what we’re doing doesn’t exist online. We ended up going to the office and signing up there. I spoke to a total of five employees, none of who had heard of Airbnb and all of who gave us different information.

Once you are signed up, it’s easy to file and pay online every month.

Here’s a real laugh for you. One of the employees told us that the 30 day stay had to be within one calendar month. I asked her (sarcastically) if she meant that every landlord in Los Angeles had to pay for any tenant who rented during the month of February regardless of the term of the lease. She said, “Yes, that is correct.” Another employee corrected her.