12-04-2023 12:39pm

The Los Angeles City Council has approved the issuance of police permits for Airbnb hosts and short-term rentals.

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

The Los Angeles City Council has approved a new law that requires hosts of short-term rentals, including Airbnb and hotels, to obtain a police permit. The aim is to address issues such as party houses and crime in such properties, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The permit requirement will enable the city to better regulate short-term rentals, creating additional bureaucracy for operators. The law provides a mechanism for the City Council and communities to contest the issuance of permits.

Council President Paul Krekorian and other proponents argue that the permit requirement will make it easier for the city to regulate short-term rentals. Various businesses in Los Angeles, such as car valets, antique stores, and bowling alleys, already need a police permit to operate, involving criminal background checks and substantial fees. The goal is to make the process “as easy and painless and nearly automatic as I can,” said Krekorian. He emphasized that routine approval would be granted unless a specific complaint was raised.

According to the Planning Department, there are 6,725 short-term rental units listed with the city. The operator of the short-term rental unit would be required to obtain a police permit under this new ordinance.

During a council committee hearing, some Airbnb hosts were unhappy about the proposal, labeling the police permit requirement as excessive. They objected to being fingerprinted as part of a criminal background check and raised questions about the permit fees. Officially, fees haven’t been set, but the suggestion is that it would be around $260. Krekorian expressed the hope that the background check could be conducted without fingerprinting.

Airbnb declined to comment on the proposal, while Peter Hillan, a spokesperson for the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, expressed concern about the new requirement. He questioned whether the LAPD had adequate staff to oversee the additional permits.

The police permit mandate is part of a broader set of regulations unveiled earlier this month, focusing on new hotels. The regulations, negotiated between the city and hotel workers union, impose a more rigorous approval process for new hotels and require developers to replace demolished homes with new residential units or renovate existing ones.

December 4, 2023 |By Anita Johnson-Brown|The Los Angeles News