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I have been attending Airbnb meetings, public hearings, planning dept. “listening” sessions, etc. to keep up with Airbnb in Los Angeles.
Most recenty (last week) a realtor told me “airbnb is over” in L.A. meaning the City Council will vote a big NO on allowing Airbnb in Los Angeles–dispite the 1000’s of hosts who have lobbied to keep it. Does anyone have any facts to support this realtor’s claim? I waspersonally told to STOP doing Airbnb (by my apartment building manager) a month ago. I was told other hosts in apartment buildings nearby (not connected to my apartment management) received a similar legal notices to the one I received. (e.g. 3 days notice to perform or quit activity not permitted by the lease.). Of course I stopped–very abruptly (I had to cancel 18 guest reservations–actually Airbnb did it for me, with no penalty to me as it was beyond my control).
Anyone in Los Angeles have a similar experience? Also any plans on what you will do if you can no longer do Airbnb? (I have a few).
I don’t know about what’s happening in LA but the feeling I get from other places isn’t that Airbnb is banned per se. It’s short term rentals that are banned. Sometimes the law says that you can accept people into your own home but does not accept short term rentals by remote landlords. Some places say that rentals
under 30 days aren’t permitted. Some condo or homeowners’ associations rule that owners can only rent out their places for three months out of the year.
Others will correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think it’s Airbnb that’s banned as such.
Why would a realtor know? They can’t see into the future
A[quote=“taratree, post:1, topic:6619”]
f course I stopped–very abruptly (I had to cancel 18 guest reservations–actually Airbnb did it for me, with no penalty to me as it was beyond my control).
Anyone in Los Angeles have a similar experience? Also any plans on what you will do if you can no longer do Airbnb? (I have a few).
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18 reservations bite! When you say apartment manager told you, do you rent the apartment? If so you shouldn’t have been doing it anyway. (Not to be harsh but subletting against a lease could get you evicted.) Airbnb creates liability for owners that shouldn’t be brought on by their tenants.
Am I misunderstanding your post ? It sounds like you were given notice to quit by the managers, an action which may or may not have had anything to do with the new regulations coming up in LA.
I may get hate for saying this, but people who rent shouldn’t be doing Airbnb.
@jaquo There are parts of LA (Santa Monica, Venice, West Hollywood) where it is banned completely, so allow only rooms rentals, etc. Santa Monica just convicted a host of illegal renting.
ABB is not submitting TOT to LA County even thought STR is considered ‘illegal’. ABB is working wtih LA to make a new law similar to what we have in SF
The realtor is very well connected. She’s on the board of the local chamber of commerce. She talks to other realtors who are very much in the know about the direction of the planning department. they are all connected.
the Airbnb guy AIRDNA --who told people how to do airbnb business was recently shut down. he has relocated to colorado. In another instance, a building owner and manager of entire apartment buildings in Venice CA were told they are violating the law–one of the buildings is now being admistered by the city (taken from from the owner) for illegally turning apartments in to STR. Same thing near Melrose Ave. one woman who got rid of her long term renters is facing jail time. This is all happening BEFORE the signing of the new STR ordinance, which will go before the City Council very soon.
Santa Monica (which is a separate city from Los Angeles) allows Airbnb as long as the host is staying in the rental along with the guest. This means no whole house rentals, not even by a homeowner who lives at the residence.
Venice is part of the city of Los Angeles. We Los Angeles City hosts are waiting with baited breath to see what regulations will be enacted.
West Hollywood (which is a separate city from Los Angeles) has outright banned Airbnb.
All of these bans are against short term rentals so I suppose you could still host via Airbnb for stays longer than 30 days.
I am a senior citizen. My girlfriend also a senior does the SAME EXACT THING as I do, same kind of apartment building (rent stablized) however SHE is allowed to have guests as many as she wants, even though Santa Monica now has a new ordinance that is very strict in other ways. It has been a life-saver for her and it was for me as well. I am not taking housing away from anyone… I live here and simply shared my apartment. Everyone has a right to have guests legally, so maybe the city of LA will make it legal for retired people such as myself. I hope and pray so.
Hey don’t get angry at me. I’m just the messenger. You are not just sharing your house, such as with a roommate. You are not hosting friends and guests known to you. You are hosting complete strangers who pay. Ergo, you are running a commercial activity. That’s subletting. You are in violation of every lease known to mankind (and woman kind) to sublet against the lease. You shouldn’t be doing it. If I you were my tenant and I discovered you doing it behind my back I would ask you to stop or evict you straightaway. Senior citizen or not. I can’t allow you to put my asset at risk.
That said, if you get the permission in writing from the owner and have a clause in your lease allowing it, and everything is above board, and known to the owner, then more power to you. Go for it.
But if not and you are sneaking Airbnb, know there’s huge liability to the owner by hosting Air guests on their property. For one thing, their homeowner’s insurance could be canceled STRAIGHT UP if they found out. If that happens, a lender can force place really high cost insurance on the mortgage, and if you can’t pay it, hello Notice of Default, then Notice to accelerate mortgage, then hello foreclosure. This is only one example of what a liability Air is… even for owners!
I’m not saying you are taking housing away. I’m saying you are subletting in violation of your lease. NOT. ALLOWED.
Some of the newer platforms ask you to upload proof of ownership before you can list. As it should be.
If your friend lives in the city of Los Angeles, the new ordinance may force her to stop her short term rentals. One of the proposals is to not allow short term rentals in any domicile that is covered by rent stabilization.
taratree - are you allowed to have Airbnb guests in your apartment - before all of the LA banning discussions began?
I guess I am asking if are you are renting from a landlord, and did the landlord at first give you permission to do the Airbnb thing? Or did he find out and then said everyone in your building needed to stop?
@cabin host: How many people do you think are legal on Airbnb? It’s MOSTLY all illegal --from zoning, to leases, to gated community/condo rules… so GOODBYE Airbnb! (It’s happening in all the major cities). Lucky for you few that can pass the cities rules/regs.
Your landlord is providing you with a place to live. Paying the mortgage, taxes, insurance and maintenance that goes with owning a place. And you are making extra money off his place in a way that doesn’t benefit him. So then you proceed to throw a tantrum at me because he told you to stop violating the terms of your lease by sneaking in what sounds like a truckload of guests. This has nothing to do with the upcoming Los Angeles regulations my friend. This your landlord telling you to stop violating the terms of your lease.
If that makes me merciless, so be it. Renters shouldn’t be doing Air hosting. You are in the wrong. Period.
I really have NO idea how many people rent on Airbnb illegally. The reason I asked is because your post (at least I thought) was about LA city council passing a law… and now what will people do? Then you mentioned the apartment manager…
I really don’t care who does what, etc. with their places - but if I was a landlord and found out a tenant was using my asset without permission to run a business…then I would be livid! You are putting the landlord’s livelihood at risk in so many ways.
My comment to you was not to imply anything other than just asking for clarification as to whether the law is causing you to have to stop OR if you didn’t have permission to begin with.
