The Los Angeles City Council approved significant new regulation of short-term rentals, available on platforms like Airbnb, earlier this week.
"The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to impose new rules on renting out rooms and homes for short stays, regulating a phenomenon popularized by the rise of online platforms such as Airbnb," reports Emily Alpert Reyes.
The key regulation included in the new ordinance: allowing residents to rent units only in primary residences—not in a second home or investment property.
According to Alpert Reyes, the approval of the ordinance comes 3.5 years after "Councilman Mike Bonin and Council President Herb Wesson first laid out a proposal to regulate short-term rentals, arguing that the city needed to prevent homes from being operated like hotels."
A contentious debate followed, lasting through the years until this Tuesday. "The long-standing debate has pitted a coalition of tenant advocates, neighborhood activists and the hotel industry against companies such as Airbnb, HomeAway and their hosts. Airbnb alone has spent roughly $1.3 million in the last four years lobbying the city on the rules, according to city disclosures."
FULL STORY: L.A. approves new rules for Airbnb-type rentals after years of debate
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