Landlords Charged with Evicting Renters to List Units on Airbnb
City officials in Los Angeles say
they are filing criminal charges against landlords who are evicting
tenants from rent-controlled units in order to list the units on Airbnb
or similar sites to make a quick profit.
The tenants say they found their former residence listed on short-term rental sites like Airbnb and HomeAway. The tenants are also suing the landlord under the Ellis Act, which is to protect tenants when landlords want to get out of the rental business
"In a city with a profound shortage of affordable housing, unlawfully converting rental units to operate hotels has got to stop," Feuer said in a statement. "My office will continue to intervene to keep rent-stabilized units on the market and hold owners accountable for not complying with the law."
Feuer has also filed civil charges against three other landlords in the Los Angeles area for similar issues.
Rent-controlled apartments are quickly vanishing from the city at a faster pace. Last year alone, 1,137 rent-controlled units were taken off the market.
Source: “LA Apartment Owners Charged with Allegedly Evicting Tenants, Then Renting Their Units Via Airbnb,” Los Angeles Times (June 20, 2106) and “Landlords Who Booted Tenants From Rent-Controlled Units Face Criminal Charges,” Curbed.com (June 20, 2016)
Short-Term Rentals and YouOwners of one formerly rent-controlled building in the Fairfax District are facing criminal charges for such a move, announced Mike Feuer, the city’s attorney, on Monday. Prosecutors say the landlord evicted tenants without giving them the opportunity to re-rent the units before they were put back on the market, which violates the city law.
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The tenants say they found their former residence listed on short-term rental sites like Airbnb and HomeAway. The tenants are also suing the landlord under the Ellis Act, which is to protect tenants when landlords want to get out of the rental business
"In a city with a profound shortage of affordable housing, unlawfully converting rental units to operate hotels has got to stop," Feuer said in a statement. "My office will continue to intervene to keep rent-stabilized units on the market and hold owners accountable for not complying with the law."
Feuer has also filed civil charges against three other landlords in the Los Angeles area for similar issues.
Rent-controlled apartments are quickly vanishing from the city at a faster pace. Last year alone, 1,137 rent-controlled units were taken off the market.
Source: “LA Apartment Owners Charged with Allegedly Evicting Tenants, Then Renting Their Units Via Airbnb,” Los Angeles Times (June 20, 2106) and “Landlords Who Booted Tenants From Rent-Controlled Units Face Criminal Charges,” Curbed.com (June 20, 2016)
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