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Venice News Updates

News of Venice, CA and Marina del Rey CA

STR Is There/Will There Be Enforcement?

Posted by :reta On : July 29, 2016
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Category: City, City Ordinance, Planning, Short-Term Rentals, short-term rentals (STR)

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The Venice Canals Action Committee reports that the same short-term rental house on Sherman Canal that international attorney Ed Rucker provided the facts to the City for enforcement/prosecution of violation of the short-term rental law is once again being used as an Airbnb short-term rental.

The old or present LA Planning ordinance states that single-family residences cannot be rented for short-term rentals. The new, proposed ordinance that will govern short-term rentals states that one can use a portion of a single-family residence as a short-term rental if the owner resides on the property and then for no more than 120 or 180 days.

In this case, the owner is in violation with either the old or the new ordinance.

Short Term Rentals (STR) have been bantered around significantly of late and followed by the press, organizations have sprung up to protect neighborhoods, unlimited meetings and town halls have occurred to stop this disruption. What started out as a protection for neighborhoods soon evolved into preserving the rent-controlled rental inventory, and seems to have found traction in the latter, as evidenced by the recent law suits, such as in Venice against Venice Suites and Venice Beach Suites.

Law suits have occurred with cities and Airbnb. Will Airbnb collect the taxes, will they register their clients?

But the bottom line is will there be enforcement in neighborhoods? Neighborhoods want to know. Neighborhoods do not care about the transient tax collections. They do not care if Airbnb registers the units. They want that house with the transient occupants out of the neighborhood. They want that party house out of the neighborhood for sure. They want a neighborhood, not a block of houses rented as hotels.

Violation of neighborhoods was the original reason Keep Neighborhoods First and other organizations, not in Venice, were organized. That party house is what was illegal before and will be, according to the new planning document, unless the owner lives on the property and rents for only 120 or 180 days of the year.

The question is: Does this provide more loop holes?–Did the owner just step out? Who keeps track of the days? And many, many more questions.

“Listening Meet” for Short-term Rentals

Posted by :reta On : October 4, 2015
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Category: Uncategorized

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Version 2

by Darryl Dufay
Councilman Mike Bonin led it off. Talked about the intense interest in Short-Term rentals. Said people have expressed themselves in hundreds of e-mails ranging from “no rentals” to “come on in!” – my words. He remarked that whatever is decided someone will be disappointed. Also, related that he and fellow Councilman Herb Wesson have taken a different tack on input on their Ordinance. Usually, an Ordinance is written and then gets comments. Their approach is to first hear from the folks before the writing. Hence, the three city wide “listening” meetings.

Mike raised two important words for what is a real Short-Term Rental: “True Shared.” This type of sharing is what we have been advocating for: Owners who are present and living on their property, who rent a spare room(s) or guesthouse, and who look after themselves and the community.

No Short-Term Rentals for owners who absent themselves and do not live on their property.

Then, the “listening” began. A member of the Planning Department stood up, stack in hand with over 100 speaker requests, which continued to grow in number. Each person was given a minute. I feverishly crossed out my two minute presentation.

It was interesting. W-I-D-E ranging expressions as you can imagine: Helping people with an affordable place to stay; paying for medical bill, education, etc.; helping the economy such as a local ice cream store; running a short term rental placement business with many employees; don’t want rentals in the hill communities because the danger of fire and congested narrow roadways; had wonderful relations with people from different countries; don’t use my neighborhood to make your money, and so it went.

I related the causes for the formation of the Venice Canals Action Committee and our support of “true sharing.” Ed spoke about the need to clearly define primary residence and where a owner actually lives.

With a large number of people wearing AirBnB sticker, I had the impression that there could be an overwhelming negative attitude to anyone making a comment who questioned limiting short-term rentals. However, as the speakers continued there was a distinct mellowing. There was an especially friendly feeling for those that were really sharing their homes More and more there were expression of applause for someone expressing a different point of view. It was not all hugs and kisses, but belied the AirBnB propaganda everyone was out to destroy Short-Term Rentals.

A learning experience for all. Now, we shall see how all the input is processed.

Short-Term Rental Input Meet Tonight

Posted by :reta On : September 28, 2015
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Category: short-term rentals (STR)

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City Planning is providing those on the Westside an opportunity to provide input for a future ordinance regulating short-term rentals (STR). The meet will be tonight, 29 September, 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Mar Vista Park Auditorium, 11430 Woodbine St., LA 90066.

Keep Neighborhoods First and the Historic Venice Canals organizations have been most vocal regarding the STR. All neighborhoods in Venice have short-term rentals. They are illegal in the City of Los Angeles right now unless they are on commercial or R-4 and denser zoned properties. Venice does not have R-4 or denser zoning. For more details on event go to previous Venice Update story.

Fill out questionnaire.

International Attorney Ed Rucker’s plight with enforcement of what is on the books regarding short-term rentals was first published in the Venice Update in June. The letter will be passed out at the meet for all to recognize how important enforcement is.

Santa Monica Gets Tough with STR

Posted by :reta On : May 2, 2015
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Category: short-term rentals (STR)

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Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to curtail short-term rentals in Santa Monica. In fact, Santa Monica has established the toughest rules yet for short-term rentals (STR). Santa Monica has banned commercial, full-time vacation rentals in their city limits. Owner must live on the property to have a room or a small cottage on the property for rent. Los Angeles is in the process of establishing requirements.

STR Protesters March in Venice

Posted by :reta On : April 2, 2015
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Category: Uncategorized

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Assembly area
Venice residents and members of Unite Here Local 11 union gathered at he corner of Westminster and Electric to march to Globe property rentals to protest the short-term rental market.

Line forms
Line formed in single file from both sides of the street.

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“Rent to Locals” read the sign that many marchers had.

NOTE: The following is a link to KCAL filming of event. Update did several interviews but recording did not take place.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video/11336021-venice-residents-say-company-is-renting-homes-to-tourists-pricing-them-out/

Members of the Unite Here Local 11 union and residents of Venice gathered Wednesday at the corner of Westminster and Electric to march to the Globe headquarters at 1231 Electric to protest the short-term rentals (STR) taking place in Venice.

Globe is claimed to be a large home and condo renter of short-term rentals in the Venice area. Unite Here Local 11 represents more than 20,000 workers employed in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers throughout Southern California. These workers, as well as Venice residents, feel they are being priced out of the rental market.

Keep Neighborhoods First organization claims Venice is the hot bed for short-term rentals. There is no doubt that Venice is a tourist attraction and destination. Many want to stay in Venice. The claim is that STR take away rentals from the regular market, thus raising the rents because of supply. Many say that even rentals under rent control have been taken off the market, at a cost, to use as short-term rentals.

On the other hand capitalism is the name of the game in this country. Why wouldn’t one do a short-term rental if one could make more money? There is a transient tax of 14 percent. Higher rent dollars mean more money for owner, more money for taxes—both federal and state income and transient taxes for the city. And then the more money earned, the more money spent.

In addition to shrinking the rental market, neighbors complain that with an STR near by they are suddenly living next door to a hotel and/or a party house. There is an increase in noise and activity and no one knows who “that group” is that just moved in for the night, the weekend. Many ask: What happened to the neighborhood? Is a neighborhood now one house and hotels next door and across the street?

Councilman Mike Bonin is addressing the situation. He has already put in play committees to study how best to “control,” “handle” this phenomenon that has arisen suddenly, but not just in Los Angeles.

New York City has banned short-term rentals in residentially zoned areas. Several other cities have curtailed the market.

Alan Bell, assistant planning director, said short-term rentals of 30 days or less were illegal in R-1, R-2, and R-3 zonings. Venice is all R-1, R-2, and R-3. Only in the commercial zoned areas would they be legal in Venice yet they are all over.

One resident asked: “Why would I rent my house for $3500 a month when I can get $7000?