Los Angeles officials tasked with enforcing the city’s years-old vacation rental rules said this week that illegal activity on booking websites remains widespread. Getting a handle on the problem before the arrival of major tourism events in L.A. like the 2028 Olympics will require a significant boost in staffing, they said.
L.A. Housing Department officials told the City Council’s housing committee on Wednesday that the department needs 18 additional inspectors and administrators to target hosts renting an estimated 7,500 homes to tourists illegally. Tenant advocates argue costs are rising for L.A. renters in part because hosts have taken these homes off the market.
The City Attorney’s Office said more officers are needed to oversee hearings for hosts who say they were cited improperly. Planning Department officials told the committee there are about twice as many properties listed on vacation rental websites as there are valid registrations.
Housing Committee chair Nithya Raman acknowledged that the city’s Home Sharing Ordinance — in place since 2019 — has failed to stop illegal bookings, leading to frequent complaints from neighbors about noise and unruly behavior in “party houses.” She also said hosts who follow the rules often face frustrating delays when seeking permits from the city.
“We are really trying to make this a better system for everyone,” Raman said. “We want to be able to remove unpermitted listings. We want to be able to identify bad actors… Our goal is also to make it easier for compliant hosts to operate their units.”
How we got here
Residents and city officials in L.A. have long expressed…
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