Short-term residential rental platforms VRBO and HomeAway are in violation of San Francisco’s residential hotel conversion ordinance and unfair competition law, alleges a lawsuit filed Monday by the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and two city tenants. Among other charges, the class-action lawsuit alleges that Austin, TX-based VRBO and its holding company HomeAway are converting residential units into tourist hotels, have removed rent-controlled apartments, caused rents to rise, and “significantly contributed to the housing shortage in San Francisco.” The complaint also alleges that the companies violate the unfair competition law by failing to follow the proper steps to run a business and pose a public nuisance by operating in residential-zoned locations and disrupting longtime tenants.
The nonprofit housing committee and tenants Sansanee Saejear and Thomas Wong have filed the lawsuit through Hooshmand Law Group, the same firm that previously sued short-term rental competitor Airbnb, and said they intend to follow suit against similar online services.
Click for full article – Housing Rights Committee sues VRBO, HomeAway alleging violations of SF laws