Measures come as wildfire victims struggle with housing crisis… “Sudden policy shift aims to dodge responsibility ahead of World Cup and Olympics”
The Los Angeles City Council recently decided to strengthen enforcement against illegal short-term rentals that are exacerbating the housing shortage crisis. Council members pointed out that landlords converting homes, especially rent-controlled apartments, into illegal tourist accommodations or party venues is one of the causes of the serious housing crisis.
This action comes suddenly after the Eaton and Palisades wildfires destroyed thousands of homes, with fire victims struggling to find affordable housing in an already tight rental market. Critics are condemning the council for “brazenly” emphasizing an issue they had knowingly ignored until now.
The city prohibited converting housing to tourist rentals through the “Home Sharing Ordinance” enacted in 2018, but enforcement of this law has been inadequate. According to investigations by Capital & Main and ProPublica last year, dozens of rent-controlled buildings operating like hotels were offered as vacation rentals on Booking.com and Hotels.com, with city officials estimating that approximately 60% of short-term rentals operating in multi-family buildings are illegal.
Councilmember Nithya Raman stated, “We haven’t made any progress on this issue due to a lack of communication between city departments and the absence of strong regulations to stop bad actors.” However, citizens are questioning the sincerity of these self-reflective voices suddenly emerging ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, calling it “a show to hide incompetence.”
The housing shortage has worsened with approximately 800 rent-controlled apartments in the city destroyed by recent wildfires. In this situation, the council’s belated response is being criticized as “morally deficient,” with questions raised about whether it will lead to effective measures.
