Joelle Kraft had a rent-controlled apartment in Santa Monica which she posted on AirBnb and rented. Her landlord terminated the lease and sued to evict her on the grounds that the AirBnb rentals of the unit were illegal under Santa Monica law. The Santa Monica rent control ordinance specifically allows termination and eviction for any illegal activity. The residential zoning for the property makes any rental for less than 30 days illegal. Santa Monica does not have an AirBnb exception. The trial court granted the eviction, because the use was illegal.
