As a Realtor, my broker expects me to check title of ownership prior to listing a property for lease or sale. Our standard lease agreements do not allow tenants to sublease without the written permission of a landlord.
Airbnb does not check ownership of a property before publicly listing it for lease. A significant number of people in Malibu who are listing their “homes” for lease are actually tenants. These tenants lease properties at yearly rates and then re-let them via Airbnb at inflated short-term prices. They basically create a for-profit business out of a property that does not belong to them.
Many owners have no idea their properties are being re-let in this manner until some neighbor notices the frequent comings of people “carrying pillows.”
This situation is easy to control. The city simply needs to create a law requiring Airbnb check title on property, prior to accepting a lease listing. The city should impose heavy fines on the company for noncompliance.
Gracee Arthur