Twenty-four confirmed Maternity Hotels were cited in Los Angeles County, but overall, new complaints from the public about suspected birthing centers have decreased significantly, according to a new quarterly report released last week by the Chief Executive Office of Los Angeles County.
In total, the multi-agency taskforce, consisting of various County departments including Regional Planning and Sheriff’s, as well as Mandarin and Cantonese translators, has inspected 82 locations throughout the County and was able to gain access to 70 properties suspected of operating maternity hotels. Numerous violations were found at these locations including unsafe health conditions, unpermitted room conversions, and properties operating as boarding homes without proper licensing. In the last three months, only three new complaints about suspected maternity hotels were logged.
“The inspections conducted by the taskforce have proven to be a successful deterrent to new maternity hotels setting up in our neighborhoods and communities,” said Supervisor Don Knabe, whose motion created the taskforce and called for an ordinance to regulate maternity hotels in Los Angeles County.
A proposed ordinance to regulate maternity hotels was not recommended at this time because the Department of Regional Planning is still conducting inspections. The Department can still issue notices of violation where maternity hotels are operating illegally because under current County codes, boarding houses are not allowed in a single-family residential zones with more than five persons unrelated to the operator.
To view the second quarterly report on Maternity Hotels in Los Angeles County, visit http://file.lacounty.gov/bc/q3_2013/cms1_197705.pdf