City Slams Illegal Vacation Rental Landlord With Penalties

SANTA MONICA, CA – A local real estate agent convicted of operating an illegal vacation rental business received an enhanced sentence due to the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office, it was announced this week.

Shabi Jafri, who was convicted in June, violated his diversion terms, the City of Santa Monica press release said. Santa Monica Code Enforcement Officers actively monitor each probationer to ensure compliance with probation and diversion conditions, so they immediately sought action after learning Jafri violated his diversion terms, the city said.

“The City of Santa Monica has consistently dedicated policies to producing, protecting and preserving housing in our community,” said Chief Deputy City Attorney Yibin Shen. “While City prosecutors use innovative tools, such as diversion and probation programs, to achieve justice with opportunity for rehabilitation; we and our law enforcement partners actively monitor compliance, and promptly take action to ensure rigorous compliance with diversion/probation terms in order to fully effectuate the legislative objectives that we are charged to enforce."

Jafri was convicted in June of unlawfully taking nine residential housing units off of the rental housing market and operating them as illegal vacation rentals, along with his refusal to comply with City Administrative Citations. When he was convicted, he was placed on formal diversion which gave him an opportunity to earn a possible future dismissal of the case by demonstrating contrition and compliance, the press release said. However, Code Enforcement Officers soon discovered that Jafri was continuing to engage in the same unlawful activities.

On December 12, City Prosecutor Michael Cobden sought and obtained an enhanced sentence against Mr. Jafri in Los Angeles Superior Court. Judge TK Herman ordered Mr. Jafri to:

• Perform 112 hours of community labor;
• Perform 140 hours of community service;
• Pay $3,915 in restitution to the City of Santa Monica for investigation costs; and
• Comply with all laws, including the City’s Home-Sharing Ordinance’s prohibition against hosting, facilitating, aiding, or advertising a vacation rental in the City.

“We agree with and appreciate the Court’s sentencing order," said Code Enforcement Manager Sharon Guidry. “When the Council adopted Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 6.20, which reaffirmed the City’s longstanding prohibition against vacation rentals in Santa Monica, it clearly reiterated its deep interest in and concerns about protecting Santa Monica’s diverse permanent rental housing stock. My team of dedicated Code Enforcement Officers are committed to enforcing this important legislation, through the entire life-cycle of every case. We proactively monitor diversion and probation terms to ensure scrupulous compliance with the City’s laws and to guarantee that Santa Monica remains a place that people from all income levels and backgrounds can proudly call home.”

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