L.A. Adopts Strict Short-Term Rental Regulations

"The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to impose new rules on renting out rooms and homes for short stays, regulating a phenomenon popularized by the rise of online platforms such as Airbnb," reports Emily Alpert Reyes.

The key regulation included in the new ordinance: allowing residents to rent units only in primary residences—not in a second home or investment property.

According to Alpert Reyes, the approval of the ordinance comes 3.5 years after "Councilman Mike Bonin and Council President Herb Wesson first laid out a proposal to regulate short-term rentals, arguing that the city needed to prevent homes from being operated like hotels."

A contentious debate followed, lasting through the years until this Tuesday. "The long-standing debate has pitted a coalition of tenant advocates, neighborhood activists and the hotel industry against companies such as Airbnb, HomeAway and their hosts. Airbnb alone has spent roughly $1.3 million in the last four years lobbying the city on the rules, according to city disclosures."