In effort to combat illegal Airbnbs and other Short Term Rental (STR) units, West Hollywood City Council decided against including guest homes in the city’s Home Sharing License Program at their meeting Monday night, and they delayed the program’s expiration until April 2024.
The Home Sharing License Program allows residents who own their dwelling unit (e.g., single family homes and condominiums) and use it as their primary residence to rent a portion of their residence for periods of less than 31 days if they live in their unit during the guests’ stay. Only residents that are eligible can engage in this activity. To do so, the resident must apply for, obtain a City Home Sharing Business License, and pay the required Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT).
Guest houses — defined as “a detached structure of 400 square feet or less, accessory to a single-family dwelling, accommodating living/sleeping quarters, but without kitchen or cooking facilities” — are not eligible for this program and property owners who have permitted guest houses cannot be issued a Home Sharing Business License.
The councilmembers feared adding guest houses to the program would only disincentivize owners from listing them as permanent housing, which the city already lacks.
“I think this is a really bad idea,” Councilmember Lauren Meister said. “I don’t know that we should make STRs legal forever. I believe that this is one of the biggest reasons why we have housing prices and we have rents that are unaffordable, is because of the short-term rentals. I think we should be spending our resources and shutting down these illegal rentals.”
“Marketing a room for rent in an attached building that happens to be a guest home feels very different than marketing a room under the same roof as someone who is currently living there, even if in fact they may not either at that time,” Councilmember Chelsea Byers said.
“It seems like we should be addressing enforcement of our existing ordinance, particularly in existing rental housing,” Councilmember John Heilman said. “That to me is the biggest problem. This is an issue throughout the city, where people suddenly find that a unit next door to them, which was permanent housing for a resident, has been converted into a short-term rental. So, until we get a handle on that, I can’t support this.”
“Let’s also remember, our hotels are recovering, and anything like guest houses are essentially hotel rooms,” Mayor Sepi Shyne said, “and we want our hotels and our businesses to get that money and not private people that are then contributing in ways that we don’t want in our city.”
City Hall will return ahead of the program’s expiration date of April 2024 to update City Council on trends and new data.
The apartment building on the east side of Palm Ave. at Cynthia has 17 lock boxes hanging from the railings in front of the building. You see cars full of tourists with oversized bags pulling up out front everyday. Gee, what do you think is going on there.
Really is quite simple: make rent by the night illegal for private residences. THAT is why we have hotels!!!
People who pay $100 in an airbnb in WeHo can’t afford a hotel room charging four times that. But because they are staying in a WeHo airbnb they will shop, eat, and be entertained in WeHo. AND their host, who lives in WeHo will have more money to spend in WeHo. So, it’s a win/win/win for the guest, the host, and the city.
How will any of this be enforced?
I agree with Shyne?? Omg Hell has frozen over.
Cool now I can use by VBRO credits.
Moronic, the reason we have high rents is because they keep promoting a huge percentage based on inflation lol, 😄, which is dumb, we are paying rental increases by 3% right now which is the highest I’ve ever seen! Has nothing to do with Airbnb’s or short term rentals. I have neighbors that can’t rent out their second duplex which is bizarre to me since I would love my family to be able to rent it next door at their convenience but can’t because of these moronic rules! Concentrate on % rental increases yearly, not short term rentals. These people… Read more »
Although I feel your irk; the problem really is West Hollywood Code Enforcement officers are refusing to tackle the illegal short term rentals in RSO (rent controlled) units. The Airbnb extension would have passed if the City Officers would actually do their job. I agree; you should be able to rent out your extra unit; legally licensed; but in the absence of oversight, the city took the correct steps to protect people in barely affordable units.
What was the inflation rate under Trump?
This may be all fine and good. But the real problem are entire houses and apartments being rented out illegally for short term.
The council did nothing to address that very serious challenge to available permanent housing in West Hollywood.
Hopefully this is only the first step in a major effort to regain control of our neighborhoods and our rental housing stock.
“Regain control of our housing stock”? Don’t you mean someone else’s private property housing stock? What you sound like is totalitarian Communist dictatorship takeover of someone else’s private property. How is your goal for Weho working out in North Korea?
Yawn. Typical, first thing a feebleminded person losing a debate does is name call. He was talking about apartment buildings, which affect countless people. And it unquestionably brings high crime to these buildings.
” What you sound like is totalitarian Communist dictatorship takeover of someone else’s private property. How is your goal for Weho working out in North Korea?” Wow! Now I know why I can say “Ayatollah Come Lately” and not get slapped.
I agree. And I would also suggest that rental dwellings that are locally owned make certain that the owners of those buildings are well informed by the City and code enforcement as to the rules and regulations regarding short term rentals of the nature discussed. There are still many buildings that are NOT owned and managed by companies or anonymous landlords. Aging out of apartments is something that is also becoming an issue because residents ARE aging and passing away. Fact of life. This leaves building owners with a tempting opportunity to change they way in which they rent and… Read more »
How is short term rentals affecting our % yearly increases in rent! ? Makes no sense. Short term doesn’t have anything to do with long term. Plus the fact you have to make under 25k to get a good rate is moronic. I don’t know anyone who makes this much and can live in a 300 mile radius of here.
25K?
You’re absolutely right. I’m the absence of Council overseeing the Code Enforcement Officers obfuscating to check, penalize and remove illegal short and long term rentals in RSO buildings, these “little steps” are not making a dent in the abusive take-over of Airbnb business.
This is dumb, by their definition a guest home doesn’t have cooking facilities, therefore it’s not likely to be used for a long term tenant, primarily a place for friends or family to stay, so where is the harm using it as a STR?
Ohh maybe less revenue for the Unite Here hotel works who fund our council members campaigns. Follow the money people
Using one example to make a general point is the problem here. Yes, there are legal frames to outline what should consist as a “rentable unit” – the problem is; as soon as the City greenlights an idea; In the absence of Code Officers oversight, plenty of shady people will use loopholes to make a side business without paying their dues to the City. Airbnb in illegal units also give access to street parking (which already is limited) and attracts noise complaints, people “renting units” not always adhere to laws and decorum… unregistered “guests” can’t be held accountable for crimes…… Read more »
Chef Raphael: I find your answers and observations rational and so well stated. Many commenters should follow suit.
Airbnb has all the contact information on all guests including their credit card, which can be charged for any damage the guest is responsible for. They are “registered” every bit as much as a hotel guest.
Airbnb has all the contact information on all guests including their credit card, which can be charged for any damage the guest is responsible for. They are “registered” every bit as much as a hotel guest.
Residents that own their homes here….should be able to do whatever they wish with it.
If you can’t find a house here that you can afford….you have two options.
Or, 3. Participate in a long-overdue Socialist popular uprising and destroy the Oligarchy and the vile filthy lazy-ass greedy foul landlords and landladies once and for all, returning all housing where it belongs, to The People and administered at cost by the collective State.
go for it. lol
What’s interesting is that this is problem here in this locale for the most part. In other parts of the country this issue doesn’t exist. Miami doesn’t have this issue. Scottsdale doesn’t have this issue. The most desirable areas of the country, Florida resort areas, do not have this issue.
And I have a fact for you: Socialism isn’t for the architects of socialism. They live lavishly. Unlike yourself apparently. Capitalism requires effort of which socialists are too lazy, foolish, dumb and ignorant to fully understand.
I’ve worked hard for my station in life. I suggest you get busy.
yep
Actually that statement is not based on facts. Santa Monica implemented strict rules to stop illegal short term rentals, so did Paris, San Francisco and Los Angeles is in the process to regulate “free market rentals” – it’s needed mandates; the same necessary designed rules for homeowners in our city. You can’t just own a home here and “do as I like” – there are tons of laws, zoning, Code and regulation that keep yourself and the people around you safe… let me guess; you’re against gun laws, food price regulations and FDA oversight as well – maybe even feel… Read more »
Chef Raphael: l truly love your answer. It raises salient points about ownership and laws governing it. And it points out that “codes” are in effect for damn near everything we do. They live under different names, but they still essentially regulate our lives everywhere. And just in my own opinion: Capital Sole sounds like a heel and very self-serving. Florida, as he mentioned twice, sounds like a wonderful move he should consider.
Landlords who use Airbnb and other public sites waste money on junk fees and requirements by local governments and websites. There are plenty of ways to rent out without these hassles if one knows where to look.
Unfortunately West Hollywood opened the door to this scourge in 2018 at AKA Sunset and has never recovered.
Exactly; John Heilman and Lauren Meister were again the only voices for common sense on that debate.
I used to think Sepi’s worst quality was that she is simply an evil person, but now I’m of the belief she is more dumb than just evil. The totalitarian Communists on the city council want to take away private property rights of homeowners. Sepi doesn’t even hide it, saying she wants hotels and businesses to make money, but “not private people”, presumably because businesses are still in some recovery period. Sepi doesn’t realize private people are also still trying to recover. John Heilman seems to be the only voice of a little bit of reason on this matter. Sadly,… Read more »
Homeowners don’t want to live next door to an AirBnb! The only property owners that benefit from that setup are those that buy property for investment purposes. They have no other interest in this community. As a homeowner, who lives in my own home, I don’t want a bunch of strangers moving in and out next door to me every two days. I don’t want to live in a hotel. So, yeah, this City Council very often gets things wrong, but on this issue, they are totally in the right.
You may not want to live next door to an AirBnb, but you don’t own your neighbor’s private property, and you have no say in what they do with their private property. That’s why it’s called “private property”. You gotta love these people who live in one of the most densely populated zip codes in the entire country, and they think everyone around them is gonna be invisible and quiet. It’s like people who move to the beach then complain about the sand. That’s you. Maybe you should have moved out to rural Lancaster, where you might not have neighbors… Read more »
Unfortunately you consistently remind the readership that you favor major anti social tendencies. Most people here appreciate living in reasonable cohesive neighborhoods and communities where there is a reasonable sense of order.
Thank goodness you and your opinions aren’t the majority in West Hollywood. You sound precisely like the uncaring, un-neighborly, short-sited and materialistic scourge we are tired of in our calm, quiet, lovely Weho streets. You can move to Texas or Florida anytime, where your brand of “IT’S ALL ABOUT ME” politics and behavior are more than welcome.
Let me see if I have this right: because I don’t agree with your “caring” and “neighborly” way of the city doing a property grab, for your benefit, I should move. Actually, the freeloaders are far more materialistic than the property owners. The property owners provide something, the freeloaders just take materialistic things, like apartments. “It’s all about me”? You’re the one who wants free rent or nearly free rent just for you, and only you. I’m so glad I’m not you. What hypocrisy and selfishness.
WehoQueen. I suspect MANY are really glad they are not you. Clearly you have never lived in many other cities, towns and countries. Those of us who have are more likely to view this entire issues with a far more realistic eye and opinions. You do, however, personify the meaning of “The Bully Pulpit”.
My own thought…based on WeHoQueen’s self-righteous and self-serving comments, is that a move to Florida for this person is in order. Perhaps to Miami, in this state run by the like minded Governor. But on second-thought, I did fail to consider what a bigot this governor is and I reckon that anyone from our own diverse city would hardly be welcome. I wonder what WQ’s neighbors think of them.
Your argument about “private property rights” misses the point here: When we buy our SFR homes in a neighborhood zoned as SFR, we do not-nor should we-expect to live alongside what amounts to a hotel and the excesses that accompany it.
Who said I don’t want neighbors?I don’t want hotel residents next door to me. I like having real neighbors that don’t change daily. That’s why I live here. And…you just made my point. You don’t care about this community. So, it sounds like you’re the one that needs to buy land in Lancaster and AirBnB that crap to your heart’s content, except you can’t because no one wants to vacation there. Even the most conservative neighborhoods have rules against AirBnB rentals. It has nothing to do with being woke or being a jackass like you. Let the hotels welcome temporary… Read more »
Take a seat. We don’t need ignorant trolls here.
Correct! Your response hits the core of the issue… it’s not what you like to do or is best for you – the question was; is it okay, safe and embracing the community. Short term renters often cause a dilemma, legal registration is missing, we lack sufficient parking and party visitors can be loud, or even a nuisance to neighbors. Nobody prevents a homeowner to have guests (even if they help with payment) but making a business out of your dwelling requires to follow regulations, pay taxes and adhere to laws – that’s what seems to irk the wehoqueen…
“The point is, no one wants to live around people who can’t afford to live here, and are basically freeloading guests of the City Council.”
You have repeatedly made comments like this. What you don’t realize is that many of the people that occupy the apartments you call run-down have been here since before the City became a City. We have been here before all the more wealthy moved here. So why should they have to move? Nobody is freeloading! I am sick of your disgusting comments about the less wealthy.