Hundreds of rent-controlled units are being illegally rented out as short-term rentals, pushing out long-term renters and exacerbating the city’s housing crisis.
In an article for ProPublica, Robin Urevich and Haru Coryne reveal that many of Los Angeles’ short-term rental units could be rent-controlled apartments rented out in violation of a 2018 law.
“In some cases, entire apartment buildings with more than 30 units are listed as boutique hotels on sites like Hotels.com and Booking.com,” according to a ProPublica and Capital & Main investigation. “By analyzing city databases and combing through online listings, the news organizations found 63 rent-controlled buildings where a tourist could book a room this spring. The number is likely far higher because many vacation rental websites like Airbnb don’t list exact addresses,” the article adds.
Meanwhile, the city’s enforcement system is “riddled with inefficiencies and shortcomings,” making it difficult to preserve affordable housing in a city with high levels of tourism. While the planning department uses an automated system to detect listings in potential violation of the law, the department admits it doesn’t have the capacity to follow up on most cases.
According to the article, “The City Council is expected to vote on recommendations to tighten the home-sharing ordinance later this year. The ideas include allowing individuals to sue violators, creating a home-sharing enforcement team made up of staff from different city departments and offering residents rewards for reporting neighbors who violate the ordinance.”
FULL STORY: In Los Angeles, Your Chic Vacation Rental May Be a Rent-Controlled Apartment
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
How Much Are Short-Term Rentals to Blame for the Housing Crisis?
Whether and how deeply Airbnb and other short-term rentals affect housing costs depends largely on local conditions and economies.
New York’s Airbnb Reform, One Month In
Less than half of submissions to the city’s new application process have been approved under new short-term rental regulations.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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