According to the new law adopted by the West Hollywood city council at the November 18th city council meeting Weho residents and landlords are restricted by law to rent out their home, or a room, to a person seeking refuge from the fires. The ordinance adopted into law by the city council conceded their own authority to make any decisions on housing policy for leases less than one year.
UNITE HERE Local 11 spearheaded the campaign during the last election . The petition, which would ban short term rentals gathered the necessary signatures to be placed on the ballot for the voters to decide. The city council had the option to allow the voters to vote. We wrote about it here. Any change now requires a ballot measure for all voters to decide. A costly, and timely process.
Council member John Heilman raised the question during discussion about the effects of adopting such ordinance into law, saying “these by initiative takes away the ability of future councils to address the real-life concerns that are happening and the impacts of this ordinance on businesses.” Heilman continued: “having said that I really don’t have a problem with enacting this as an ordinance other than the fact that it takes away flexibility. I do think there are people who have single family homes who would put them out for rental during the Olympics, and as I understand from the city attorney we basically wouldn’t be allowed to permit that unless we went back to the voters”. Heilman then voted to give away the council’s authority over the issue.
During the debate on the short term rentals members of the public discussed the need for temporary housing for those who seek medical treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, including women seeking abortions from other states. But the original policy was passed in 2022 with the support and backing of UNITE HERE Local 11 and was set to expire.
While many residents have opened their doors to friends who have had to evacuate, those facing relocations will not be allowed to sign a lease in West Hollywood for less than a period of one year. Landlords with available housing will not be legally permitted to allow victims of the fires or those seeking evacuation to rent their vacant units.
Playing devil’s advocate here, but won’t people need housing for at least a year anyway? Ms. Lynn can chime in here, but it’ll take a long time just for entitlements to rebuild, won’t it?
The Unite union was behind spending $500,000 for a 2 week ice rink. What a complete waste of money.
Our obligation is to support our residents first and foremost. Short-term rentals take permanent housing off the market, and make what’s left unaffordable for what’s left of the working- and middle-class. Apartments are not built to be hotels.
Once again, the city council has failed to thoroughly consider their decisions, preventing many residents from being able to offer their homes to those in crisis due to a natural disaster. Idealism is for adolescents, not for city councils.
Rumors that they are gonna push more multi family bldgs to replace all the single family homes lost…more $$ for city. The land they deem now unbuildable due to new laws will be absorbed by the county just like the lot walgreens had purchased and the city took over and turned into a multi million dollar parking lot (with a dedication ceremony pending lol) wtf
Lindsey Horvath is on all the tv channels talking her bull while she was too inexperienced to make a difference before this all happened
she’s not very impressive. she will fit right in. The only Supe worth anything is Kathryn Barger
Ban? Maybe they should look at the ads online for rentals. In my building, they just advertised and RENTED (this week) month to month tenancy just a block away from city hall 🤔.
It’s unbelievable that the CIty Council has outsourced its agenda to a union based in DTLA that has no concern for residents of the City.
BINGO!!
well done Erickson, you are an absolute fool. You and your ridiculous crazies are doing a fine job fing things up. You should offer your resignation.
That was Solly and a very NIMBY attitude towards no rentals in his building.
Isn’t it interesting how many YIMBYs are NIMBYs in their own BY?
Problem is Byers won’t do anything without Solly’s permission. The council should immediately lift the short term rental ban in an emergency meeting to help any family in stress who lost their home.
The council ceeded its authority over this matter, all 5 council members supported the full ban.
Please reread the article. The council tied its own hands; it can’t change the ordinance. The only change can be made by the voters, a process that will take too long to solve the immediate problem.
Hopefully there’s an exemption or escape clause during times of emergency. The council members have been extraordinary quiet on this, but we have to trust their capabilities.