Guide · City vs city
Los Angeles vs San Diego: short-term rental rules.
California's two largest cities both rule out most investor rentals, in different ways. Los Angeles allows short-term rentals only in the host's primary residence, up to 120 nights a year. San Diego licenses whole-home rentals but caps them. Citywide licenses are running out and Mission Beach is full.
The short answer
Which city fits your plan
| Buying an investment property | San Diego is the only option of the two, and only while Tier 3 licenses remain. Mission Beach licenses are fully allocated. Los Angeles doesn't license homes that aren't the host's primary residence. |
|---|---|
| Renting out your own home | Both work. LA's standard registration allows 120 nights a year. San Diego's Tier 2 lets you be away up to 90 days a year. |
| Renting a few weeks a year | San Diego's Tier 1 license covers up to 20 days a year with no residency requirement. |
Side by side
The rules compared
Each answer comes from the sourced market page; follow the links for citations and detail.
| Rule | Los Angeles | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home investor rentals | Not allowed: only the host's primary residence qualifies | Tier 3 (outside Mission Beach), capped at 1% of housing units: 807 licenses left as of September 25, 2026. Tier 4 (Mission Beach) is full, with a lottery-ordered waitlist. |
| Renting your own home | Allowed if you live there more than 6 months a year. 120 nights a year, more with an Extended Home-Sharing registration. | Tier 2 home-sharing: the host lives on-site and can be away up to 90 days a year |
| Occasional rentals | Covered by the same primary-residence registration | Tier 1: up to 20 days a year, with no residency requirement |
| Fees | $89 to register or renew; Extended Home-Sharing review is $850 or $5,660 | Tier 1: $33 + $193. Tier 2: $33 + $284. Tiers 3 and 4: $41 + $1,129. Licenses last 2 years. |
| Guest limit | 2 people (not counting children) per habitable room | Not set in our records |
| Taxes | 14% Transient Occupancy Tax; Airbnb collects it automatically | 11.75% to 13.75% Transient Occupancy Tax, depending on the tax zone |
| Licenses on sale | Registration belongs to the host's own residence | Non-transferable between hosts or properties |
| Full rules and sources | Los Angeles rules Verified September 27, 2026 | San Diego rules Verified September 27, 2026 |
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Compares local rules for short-term rentals in each city's jurisdiction; it isn't investment advice and doesn't weigh prices, occupancy or returns. General information only, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules and deed restrictions can be stricter. See also cities that banned or restricted Airbnb.