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April 29 - May 26, 2022
New Report Shows That One in Five Airbnb Listings Violated City Laws Better Neighbors LA sheds light on noncompliance B y D olores Q uintana Better Neighbors LA (BNA) has released a report that shows that one out of every five listings posted by Airbnb hosts during a twelve-month study period did not act in accordance with Los Angeles city ordinances that regulate short-term rentals. BNA is a coalition of housing advocates, hotel employees and renter’s rights groups that wants to hold the home-sharing industry accountable. The 44-page report that BNA released also said that their researchers have suspicions that as many as two-thirds of the Airbnb listings in the months between November 2020 and October 2021 may have also been non-compliant. BNA has insisted that the city must do more to enforce its short-term rental law and crackdown on the “most egregious violators” and issue larger penalties for these violations.
Attorney Nancy Hanna, who is a spokesperson for the coalition, said the fines issued by the city simply become a cost of doing business for short-term rental hosts unless the regulations are vigorously enforced. This report’s release came one week after City Attorney Mike Feuer’s lawsuit against the home-sharing company Home Away was filed. The lawsuit accuses HomeAway of failing to supply the required valid home-sharing registration number or even a pending registration number for the listings on its site after examinations by the City Attorney’s office. Better Neighbors LA prepared their report through research, data scraping homesharing sites and going through city records. In response, an Airbnb representative called the report’s accuracy into question and said that it was based on “questionable statistics” and that it was prepared by “a special interest group in the pocket of the hotel industry.” Airbnb spokesperson Liz DeBold Fusco didn’t call out BNA by name but stated that the report was written only to “undermine the ability of local residents to responsibly share their home and benefit ... the entire citywide economy.” and added that
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
Airbnb was the only company of its kind that came to an agreement with the city on enforcement. The agreement calls for Airbnb to share information with the city and to remove listings that the Department of City Planning deems are illegal.
Fusco elaborated that “As part of that, we have removed thousands of listings at the request of the city, in accordance with the law — and we will continue to do so going forward” as quoted by the Times.
Airbnb, see page 8
Brandon Neal, Victim of Venice Shooting Is Remembered Loved Ones B y D olores Q uintana
The deaths of Brandon Neal and his girlfriend in the rental home in Venice are under investigation by The Los Angeles Police Department. As reported by KTLA. com, the LAPD has collected surveillance footage from the neighborhood cameras. Neal and his girlfriend were in the process of moving out of home when they were murdered late in the night or early in the morning of April 14 on the 1100 block of Berkeley Drive. Brad Neal said that his son Brandon was kind and compassionate and an artist. He added that his son grew up in Venice and that he loved his family and friends. Brad Neal has issued a plea to the public to help find the killer of his son. “People that know him love him so much. He was a character. It’s a shocker. To have them taken away in an instant is
quite difficult.” Neal said as quoted by KTLA.com. According to Brad Neal, his son had recently taken steps to address his drug problem and his mental issues. “What made it particularly difficult is that our son, who had been struggling with bipolar and had been self medicating for many years, had agreed to get help. We were in the process of moving him out of that rental house and getting him into a program.” stated Brad Neal as quoted by KTLA.com. The LAPD has not been forthcoming with any additional information about the crime. No description of the suspect or suspects has been released by detectives of the Homicide division. It is the LAPD’s hope that the neighborhood’s security cameras might provide more clues. Brandon Neal’s best friend, Josh Ohaua, is hopeful as well. Ohaua said, as quoted by KTLA.com, “The camera footage really
won’t lie. Of course if any neighbors — Brandon was a really popular person. I’m sure someone has to have seen something on their Ring cameras or whatever. Of course we want to know.” Ohaua added that his friend Brandon Neal had “moral fiber unlike anyone I’ve ever known.” as quoted by KTLA.com and further hopes that Neal will be remembered by the community as a bright light in everyone’s lives. His father stated that “He was sensitive and what I loved about him the most, even in his worst days of addiction, he would never lie. He couldn’t lie. That’s a powerful thing and I have so much respect for that.” as quoted by KTLA.com Brad Neal issued a reminder to other parents to not forget to let their children know that they care. He said, as quoted by KTLA.com “I would say if there are people that you love, then tell them. Don’t wait for
Brandon Neal.
Photo: Courtesy
tomorrow. Tell them now. If you have any information about this crime, you can call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be sent to the authorities through the website lacrimestoppers.org.