After you are allowed to stay in a home more than 30 days you become a "tenant" and are subject to renter protection laws. I'd imagine these short term rental companies will get much stricter about 30+ stays real soon now.

Does this apply even to people I would allow to stay in my home for free? Or does this only kick in when money changes hands?

Yep, even free.

Because he has been there more than 30 days and has already made complaints about the adequacy of the accommodations. I feel sorry for the property owner but she got into the landlord business without doing basic research.

The guest texted back saying he was legally occupying the condo and that loss of electricity would threaten the work he does at home that brings in $1,000 to $7,000 a day.

Oh, this must be the guy all those people are talking about in blog comments :)

Is the complaint about inadequate accommodations enough to withhold rent?

I think what I'm really getting at is, if he is _still_ a tenant without paying rent. When does a tenant become a squatter?

I'm clear on that certain rights kick in at 30d, I am just a little hazy that a right is to stay without paying for it.

I don't know. The complaint looks like a procedural maneuver to me, designed to slow down the eviction process.

Landlord lives in San Francisco. Her unwanted tenant lives in Palm Springs, which is in Riverside county in Southern California. 30-day tenancy rights are a matter of state rather than city/county law.

The property in question is hundreds of miles from San Francisco.