Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Dec. 15, 2023, to correct references to the amount of time Ms. Hirschhorn is alleged to have overstayed, and to clarify other aspects of NewsNation’s reporting on the dispute.
(NewsNation) — Elizabeth Hirschhorn left a Los Angeles Airbnb guesthouse, where she squatted for 570 days without paying rent, with a police escort, according to court documents filed on Nov. 6.
Sascha Jovanovic initially rented the guesthouse to Hirschhorn for a six-month stay, for which she paid more than $20,000, but when her stay ended in April 2022, she wouldn’t leave.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Hirschhorn sought $100,000 from Jovanovic to move out. When Jovanovic declined, authorities got involved with their dueling claims — Hirschhorn claiming the unit was unpermitted and Jovanovic claiming she refused to allow him into the unit to make repairs.
Under Los Angeles’ Just Cause law, staying in the unit for six months meant Hirschhorn couldn’t be evicted without legal cause unless Jovanovic paid for her relocation. And because Jovanovic extended her contract outside of the Airbnb platform, the company wouldn’t intervene in the dispute, leaving the dispute to be litigated in California courts.
As both Hirshhorn and Jovanovic pursued their case in court, the tenant and landlord existed in a stalemate. Hirschhorn refused to leave the guesthouse or allow Jovanovic in to repair damages and bring the unit up to code.
Los Angeles, CA – September 25: Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, stands in front of his Los Angeles home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 
Los Angeles, CA – September 25: Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, stands in front of his Los Angeles home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 
Los Angeles, CA – September 25: Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, stands in front of his Los Angeles home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 
Los Angeles, CA – September 25: Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, stands in front of his Los Angeles home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 
Los Angeles, CA – September 25: Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, stands in front of his Los Angeles home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 
Los Angeles, CA – September 25: Aleksandar Jovanovic, a Airbnb landlord, stands in front of his Los Angeles home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Jovanovic joined “Banfield” exclusively Monday night to discuss how Hirschhorn finally left the house.
“It was quite a crazy moment because we were in the house, filming with a news channel,” Jovanovic said. “And then these three men started walking on the property, and I had no idea who was walking into it. I approached them, they didn’t want to speak to me. … Then I called the police as a home invasion, three men entering our property.”
Jovanovic and his attorney are reportedly taking steps to ensure Hirschhorn won’t be able to get back into the house.
According to Jovanovic’s court filings and other reports, Hirschhorn’s attorney said she had intended to return to the guesthouse, but Jovanovic had already changed the locks. His legal team says it’s now on Hirschhorn to prove to the courts she should be given access again.
While Jovanovic’s case may seem extreme, the reality is squatters have more rights than people think. While trespassing is a crime, squatting isn’t necessarily illegal. And like Hirschhorn and Janovic’s case, many squatters are those who once lived in a property legally, such as former renters.
Even in states where squatting is prohibited, including California, there may be situations when squatters can claim ownership of a property. In other cases, landlords can evict them — unless they qualify for protection other under rental laws.
In Hirschhorn’s case, a judge ruled that since the unit wasn’t legally permitted when Jovanovic listed it on Air BnB, he couldn’t evict Hirschhorn without providing a legal reason or paying for her relocation.
It’s not the first time Hirschhorn has overstayed her welcome as a renter. She filed a similar lawsuit in Oakland, California after refusing to move out of a cottage or pay rent. The Los Angeles Times reports Airbnb deleted her account.
While Hirschhorn is out of the property, Jovanovic still has to deal with the aftermath.
He told “Banfield” the condition of the house was much worse than when he initially rented it out.
“There was a lot of flies in the guest house. … There was smell. It was dirty. My first reaction was, ‘Everything has to go or be given to charity,’” Jovanovic said.
NewsNation’s Sean Noone contributed to this report.