Following a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation, which found that buildings meant for housing are instead being rented to tourists, the mayor’s office asked for a review.
By Robin Urevich, Capital & Main, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica
This story was produced in partnership with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network. Read part one and part two of the investigation into L.A.’s residential hotels.
The Los Angeles Housing Department said Tuesday that it will “immediately” investigate whether some residential hotels, which are required by city law to be reserved for low-cost housing, are instead renting rooms to tourists.
The city’s action came just one day after Capital & Main and ProPublica revealed that 21 residential hotels were advertising on travel websites and that the Housing Department had failed to stop their owners from turning housing units into hotel rooms.
Department spokesperson Sharon Sandow said in a statement that over the next six to seven weeks “the Housing Department will investigate all 21 of the hotels identified in the article and will, where warranted, issue citations and make appropriate referrals to the City Attorney’s office.” The department will also review its enforcement efforts, she said.
The mayor’s office requested the Housing Department conduct the investigation, said Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. “We are asking for a report back on all 21 properties in 45 days,” Seidl said. “In addition, we are asking for a report on how this happened and recommendations for ensuring this does not happen again.”
The mayor’s office did not answer questions emailed to its staff ahead of the initial story.