There's a lot of economic motivation for people to do this. It also will be difficult to draft an ordinance that restricts rentals according to the length of stay, since property owners have the legal right to rent apartments on a monthly basis. We have never, that I know of, rented to anybody that left after two weeks. We don't refund any money. Ninety-five percent of my people are there for at least a month.
City officials agree that under the current law, most of the short-term rentals are legal.
Our challenge is to balance the baggage. We want Santa Monicans to move in, not just check in. We will protect our existing rental housing stock. All Rights Reserved.