To the editor: Short-term rentals are an easy scapegoat, but they are not the driver of Los Angeles’ housing crisis (“There are countless problems with short-term rentals. L.A. doesn’t need more,” May 1, 2026). They represent only a small share of the city’s housing — far too limited to meaningfully address a shortage measured in the hundreds of thousands of units. It is also misleading to cite 18,000 short-term rentals in Los Angeles as that figure conflates listings with actual housing units and overstates their impact.
Even in cities with strict limits on short-term rentals, rents have continued to rise, underscoring that the core issue is lack of supply, not home sharing. In fact, home sharing can help support critical city services.
Right now, families across Los Angeles are facing an immediate need: the lingering effects of a budget shortfall that has threatened the services people rely on every day. We’re talking about public safety, emergency response, sanitation, parks and youth programs — the basic building blocks of stable, healthy communities. In many neighborhoods, especially those that have historically been under-resourced, there is no buffer to let these services remain underfunded.
At the same time, Los Angeles is preparing to welcome millions of visitors for global events like the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympics in the years ahead.
That presents a clear opportunity: Fund the services our communities depend on by taxing those tourists who stay in short-term rentals. We can and should be focused on balanced solutions like building more housing while also capturing tourism-driven revenue to protect neighborhoods and avoid deeper cuts.
Phillip Lester, Los Angeles