Short-term rental rules · Los Angeles, California
Short-term rentals in Los Angeles, explained properly.
Short-term rentals are allowed citywide under the Home-Sharing Ordinance, but only in a host's primary residence — investor-owned, non-owner-occupied units are not eligible. Standard registration caps hosting at 120 days a year unless a host obtains an Extended Home-Sharing registration.
Draft. These rules were compiled from the official sources listed below but have not yet been checked line by line. Confirm with the city before making decisions.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Yes, citywide under the Home-Sharing Ordinance, but only in the host's primary residence[1] |
| Primary residence requirement | Host must occupy the unit more than 6 months per year; in multi-unit buildings, only the unit the host actually lives in qualifies[2] |
| Registration required? | Yes — hosts must register online, display their registration/pending number on all listings, and hold a Transient Occupancy Tax Registration Certificate[1] |
| Registration fees | $89 standard registration/renewal; $850 for Extended Home-Sharing administrative review; $5,660 for discretionary review applications[2] |
| Annual night cap | 120 days per calendar year under standard registration[2] |
| Maximum occupancy | 2 persons (excluding children) per habitable room[1] |
| Transient Occupancy Tax rate | 14% of the rent charged, applicable to all properties rented to transients[3][4] |
| How TOT is collected | Airbnb collects and remits TOT automatically for bookings made through Airbnb; hosts using other platforms or direct bookings must register for a TOT certificate and remit it themselves[3] |
| Violation fines (effective Sept. 1, 2024, CPI-adjusted annually) | $605.73/day against a host/owner/advertiser in violation; $1,211.33/day against a hosting platform facilitating a violation; $2,422.89/day for exceeding the 120-day cap without Extended registration[5] |
| Last researched | September 25, 2026 |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & zoning
| Rent-stabilized units | Units subject to the city's Rent Stabilization Ordinance are not eligible for home-sharing[2] |
|---|---|
| Renters/lessees | Tenants must obtain written, notarized landlord authorization before registering[2] |
| Ineligible property types | Vehicles, storage sheds, trailers, and any structure not originally built for residential use are ineligible[2] |
| Pending violations bar registration | Properties with pending citations or violation notices are ineligible to register[1] |
Licensing & application
| Application steps | Verify eligibility, obtain landlord authorization (if renting), gather two proofs of primary residency plus valid photo ID, register online, and post the registration/pending number on all listings[2] |
|---|---|
| Pending number while awaiting approval | A complete application generates a pending number that can be used on listings immediately; the final registration number is issued upon approval and must then appear on all ads[2] |
| Extended Home-Sharing eligibility | Requires 6+ months of valid standard registration or 60+ hosting days, adjacent/abutting owner notification, and no suspended or revoked registration in the prior 2 years[2] No more than one citation in the prior three years qualifies for administrative approval; additional citations trigger a discretionary review process ($5,660 fee). |
Operations & requirements
| Code of Conduct | Hosts must provide guests with a Code of Conduct covering neighborhood noise and behavior expectations[1] |
|---|---|
| Events and parties | No commercial events or parties, no late-night outdoor gatherings, and no hosting multiple guest groups simultaneously in the same unit[1] |
| Listing platforms | Listings are restricted to hosting platforms the city has approved[1] |
Taxes & fees
| Transient Occupancy Tax | 14% of the rent charged; Airbnb bookings are taxed and remitted automatically, other channels require the host to hold a TOT Registration Certificate and self-remit[3] |
|---|---|
| Measure TC — OTC fee loophole closed (2026) | Passed June 2026: online travel companies must now collect and remit TOT on the full amount the guest paid, including service fees, not just the negotiated room rate[4] |
| Measure TT — rate increase rejected (2026) | A June 2026 ballot measure to raise TOT from 14% to 16% through 2028 (stepping down to 15% in 2029) failed at the polls[4] |
Changes
Recent and pending changes
Checked LA City Planning's home-sharing pages and ordinance/fine-schedule PDFs, LA Office of Finance's TOT page, and June 2026 primary election results for the two competing hotel-tax ballot measures (TT and TC) as of the research date below. No pending City Council action on home-sharing eligibility itself (e.g., the primary-residence rule or 120-day cap) was found at research time — watch the LA City Council file system (Council File tracking) and City Planning's ordinance page for that.
Voters approved Measure TC in the June 2026 primary, requiring online travel companies to collect and remit Transient Occupancy Tax based on the full amount guests pay (including service fees), not just the negotiated room rate. Estimated to raise about $5 million annually.
Voters rejected a proposed temporary increase of the Transient Occupancy Tax from 14% to 16% (stepping down to 15% in 2029) in the June 2026 primary election.
The city's annual CPI-based adjustment raised home-sharing violation fines effective September 1, 2024 (e.g., owner/host violations to $605.73/day, platform violations to $1,211.33/day, extended-stay violations to $2,422.89/day).
Sources
Every rule above links to one of these
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This page is general information compiled from official sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.