Hollywood Hills residents are angered by a $40-per-night tent rental in a dirt lot in their neighborhood. Gadi Schwartz reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2015.
Families in affluent Hollywood Hills are angry people are openly drinking and having sex on a campsite that has opened in their community.
Advertised through the Airbnb website, it is advertised as a "camping retreat," but sits in middle of a multimillion dollar neighborhood. For the cost of $40 per night people get a tent, spectacular views and are within short walking distance of the Hollywood sign.
However people living in the well-heeled locale are unhappy at the way renters are behaving during their stays, with fornication and other undesirable behavior taking place within view of the surrounding mansions.
"People (are) buck naked, people doing sex out in the open. Drinking," resident and father Sanjeeb Kumar said. "(Happening on) our own backyard, it's scary. (We are) scared to come out."
"I think it's really hard when a lot of us have children and we are driving by and the kids see strange things and ask, 'Why is that going on there?'" a fellow neighbor said.
There are also concerns that an uncontrollable fire could be sparked as campers have been seen smoking, even though a sign in front of the property, which is surrounded by dry brush, says it is not allowed.
"We have a major drought situation, that could take the whole hillside and take the houses with it," a resident said.
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Two tents were pitched when NBC4 visited the site Wednesday. The person living in the house next to the campsite called police rather than respond to requests for a comment. According to the campsite listing campers can use the mansion's bathrooms during their stay.
Neighbors are hoping to have the campsite closed down, and are working to have the city check for any possible zoning violations.
