“I spoke to the neighbors and the few things they complained about were loud music, people double-parking and people stepping on lawns and flowers,” she said. Now she is reminding guests to park legally and avoid the flower beds. It also invested in quieter outside speakers and ends all events at 7 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. That year she said she hadn’t had any problems so far.
Legal risks must also be taken into account. Municipalities and homeowner associations can issue regulations that restrict the commercial use of residential properties and swimming pools. And home insurance may not cover a claim that violates their terms.
“There’s a good chance an insurance company will deny the claim if use of the pool doesn’t comply with applicable documents or local or state law,” said Steven D. Sladkus, a Manhattan real estate attorney, who also pointed out that a homeowner could face a personal harassment lawsuit from a disgruntled neighbor.
While the companies offer liability insurance for hosts, they leave it to them to deal with legal issues and local regulations.
“We really require hosts to be vigilant and compliant,” said Matt Bendett, a founder of San Francisco-based Peerspace, with more than 20,000 active properties on its platform. “We can do this alone without the cooperation of the host really difficult.”
Mr. O’Brien, 47, of Los Feliz, follows his mayor’s Facebook page to keep up with local issues and uses a decibel meter to make sure the noise in his 6,000-square-foot garden is never except Control is transformed into a bizarre retreat, encased in a canopy of oak, olive, pecan, fig and citrus trees. The room he calls The WithInn has a fully equipped kitchen, lounge area, stage and bar. Mr. O’Brien stays at home during the events and is monitored from his house, which is mostly private, except when Guests enter through a side door to use the toilet.
The space was booked once a week that summer, and the biggest event that year was a 60-person wedding, said O’Brien, who makes most of his income from renting it out. “I always wanted people to have the wow factor – they come around the corner, look back and say, ‘Oh my god, where does that come from? What is it? ‘”he said.” In the middle of the Hollywood area is this room that looks like another country. “
For $ 145 an hour, it could be yours for the evening.
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