By Jamie Paige, Special to the Daily Press
The Los Angeles City Council has given initial approval to an ordinance aimed at outlawing “vanlording,” the practice of leasing recreational vehicles to unhoused residents on public streets — a phenomenon long visible in Venice and increasingly across the San Fernando Valley.
The measure, introduced by Councilmember Traci Park in 2023, amends city law to explicitly prohibit leasing or renting RVs for residential use in the public right-of-way. The Council voted 13-0 on Sept. 17 to adopt the Public Works Committee report, which recommended amending the city code to add RVs to the list of vehicles that cannot be rented, leased or sold in the public right-of-way.
“This is going to be a really important tool in helping us address that ongoing crisis,” Park said. “It closes a gap in our city’s laws that’s going to have a huge impact on quality of life here. It will prohibit people from leasing those vehicles using our city streets for residential purposes.”
The ordinance imposes escalating civil penalties: $500 for a first violation, $750 for a second within a year, and $1,000 for subsequent offenses. Each day of violation is treated as a separate offense. Under committee amendments, violations could also be prosecuted criminally as misdemeanors, subject to penalties authorized under Section 11.00(m) of the municipal code.
The Public Works Committee, which advanced the measure on Aug. 27, also directed the Los Angeles Police Department to report back on how enforcement will be carried out, including coordination with outreach teams, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and Council offices, as well as safeguards for people residing in RVs.
Vanlord problem
Venice has been one of the flashpoints in the city’s struggle with RV encampments. In 2019, the Los Angeles Times profiled Gary Gallerie, a man known locally as the “van lord of Venice,” who openly acknowledged buying up vans and renting them to people who could not afford apartments.
Gallerie said he built a fleet of 13 vans, renting them for $150 to $300 a month. Supporters described him as providing an option when no other shelter was available, while critics pointed out that the vehicles lacked toilets and running water and fell short of basic habitability standards. Residents often complained about unsanitary conditions and unsafe clusters of RVs, while some tenants described the vans as their only lifeline.
City officials estimate roughly 4,000 RVs across Los Angeles are used as makeshift housing, representing about 22 percent of the city’s total unsheltered homeless population. That marks a 40 percent increase since 2018. Many of the vehicles are in grave disrepair, leaving residents without access to basic hygiene facilities or safe conditions.
Supporters of Park’s measure say the ordinance targets profiteers rather than criminalizing people living in vehicles. By making those rentals illegal, backers say, the city can disrupt the cycle that fuels encampments.
The ordinance does not ban living in a privately owned RV outright, nor does it penalize individuals who use vehicles as shelter. Instead, it focuses on the commercial practice of renting RVs on public streets.
Next steps and vote tally
The Sept. 17 Council vote was the first formal approval of the ordinance, which must still be finalized by the City Attorney, signed by the mayor, and published before taking effect.
If enacted, Los Angeles would join Los Angeles County — which last year directed staff to explore policies to address “vanlording” in unincorporated areas — in formally banning the practice. State officials have also authorized cities to use Caltrans lots for storing inoperable RVs cleared from encampments.
Published in partnership with the Westside Current