LA law protects Airbnb guest living at Brentwood rental for 500+ days without paying rent
LOS ANGELES - "The tenant from hell."
That's what one Airbnb renter is now dubbed as she apparently refuses to leave the multi-million dollar rental in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood - more than a year later - and won't pay up either.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, the homeowner, Dr. Sascha Jovanovic, is currently in a contentious legal battle with Elizabeth Hirschhorn.
Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, explains his situation on the deck of his Los Angeles home. His tenant, Elizabeth Hirschhorn, not pictured, is still living in his guesthouse listed on Airbnb, shown in background middle with a view of The Get
Dr. Jovanovic, who owns a dental surgery practice in Santa Monica, rented out his accessory dwelling unit via Airbnb to Hirschhorn, whose Airbnb stay ended in April last year, according to the Times. She hasn’t paid rent since.
1235 North Tigertail Road, Los Angeles / Google Maps
"When Elizabeth Hirschhorn’s Airbnb stay ended in April 2022, she simply didn’t move out. She’s been living there rent-free ever since, and she refused to budge unless Jovanovic paid her a relocation fee of $100,000," the Times reports.
Hirschhorn’s attorney told the Times that "she was not required to pay rent because the city had never approved the unit for occupancy and that its shower was constructed without a permit."
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Because of several code violations, the city determined that Jovanovic couldn’t evict Hirschhorn, whom he claims won’t even let him inside to bring it up to code.
Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, looks out over a patio space on top his guesthouse, located on the property of his Los Angeles home. His tenant, Elizabeth Hirschhorn, not pictured, is still living in his guesthouse listed on Airbnb after the
"I tried to be a kind host," Jovanovic told the publication. "I had no idea she would become what she has become."
Because she stayed in the unit for six months, Hirschhorn qualified for L.A.'s recently adopted Just Cause Ordinance, which requires a landlord to have a legal reason to evict her, and if there is no legal reason, the landlord is required to pay for relocation assistance for the tenant.
Pedro Gonzalez, the city investigator, also concluded that the unit is subject to L.A.’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, giving Hirschhorn much stronger tenant protections.
Jovanovic had since canceled all reservations for upcoming guests as the legal battle continues.