Enforcing Laws Against "Party Houses"

Los Angeles Party House Ordinance Goes Into Effect

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-- The ordinance on loud or unruly gatherings, also known as the ‘Party House Ordinance" officially took effect April 15th, 2018. The ordinance aims to curb repeat offenders of out-of-control parties in residential neighborhoods with escalating fines and new enforcement tools for the Los Angeles Police Department.

For years, massive, all-night parties have flooded quiet neighborhoods with hundreds of guests and put neighborhoods at risk without any consequence.

There are no set hours under this ordinance, so a party can be unruly any time of the day or night. but there must be unacceptable activities.

What is OUTLAWED is “Loud or Unruly Conduct” which include:

Any of the below activities at a residence OR within 500 feet of a residence;

Loud noise

Obstructing street or sidewalks

Public intoxication/drinking in public

Serving alcohol to minors

Assault; battery; fights; domestic violence; disturbing the pace

Sale of alcohol without a license

Litter; trespassing

Public urination

The fines are against the owner (absentee or not) and the party host. The ordinance includes increasing fines up to $8,000 and requires those who violate the ordinance to post a public notice for 30 days notifying neighbors of their unlawful conduct. It penalizes both party hosts and homeowners, which is meant to dissuade property owners from renting out their homes to professional party-throwers and reduce the likelihood of future violations, which reduces the burden on law enforcement to repeatedly break up parties.

This will come as a great relief to hillside residents who have had to endure unruly, out of control - sometimes commercial - parties in neighborhoods particularly in the Hollywood & other Hillside communities.

“With this new ordinance, the party is over for these completely out of hand neighborhood headaches."

The new law allows for escalating fines on party hosts and homeowners to ensure that hosts who throw unruly parties in multiple homes are increasingly cited for multiple offenses, and that property owners remain culpable for renting out their homes to party house operators. The fines are:

• $100 for the first violation;
• $500 for the second violation;
• $1,000 for the third violation;
• $2,000 for the fourth violation;
• $4,000 for the fifth violation;
• And $8,000 for the sixth and subsequent violation

Joann Deutch, Journalist and Travel Writer