New Law Requires Short-Term Rentals to Obtain Police Permit

The Los Angeles City Council has passed a new law requiring short-term rental hosts to obtain police permits. 

The permit requirements will apply to Airbnb, VRBOs, hotels, and other short-term rental properties. 

What’s in the Law?

The city council voted 14-0 in favor of the law requiring short-term rental hosts to obtain police permits prior to renting their property out. Under California law, a short-term rental is 30 days or less. 

According to Council President Paul Krekorian, the law will assist the city in cracking down on rentals used for uses such as partying by creating further regulations on properties. 

The law was part of the deal struck between the council and hotel unions that removed an initiative from the 2024 ballot in exchange for stricter hotel development regulations. 

However, many in the hotel industry were surprised to see the law included in the bill, as stakeholders were not aware until just weeks before it became law. 

The new law will affect over 6,000 short-term rental properties in Los Angeles. 

Concerns

Stakeholders including the hotel industry, Airbnb hosts, and the Los Angeles Police Department all expressed their concerns over the new law.

Airbnb hosts shared concerns over permit costs as they can often be hundreds of dollars, and take extensive time due to fingerprinting and background checks. LAPD has suggested $260 as the permit cost, however, those are not finalized. 

On the other hand, the hotel industry and the Los Angeles Police Department voiced their dismay over the law due to the workload the department already faces. According to an LAPD lieutenant, the new requirements would triple the amount of workload in the department. 

However, not everybody is concerned with the new law. The hotel workers union hopes this ends to the end of short term rentals such as Airbnb due to the effect it has on the hotel industry, and the impact on the city’s housing supply. 

Keep up with BOMA on the Frontline for the latest news in the Greater Los Angeles area.