Avalon, CA short-term rental license
Avalon decides each Transient Rental License at a public Planning Commission hearing, paired with a Coastal Development Permit. Commissioners weigh whether licensed rentals would become the majority of homes adjacent to a year-round residence. The standard conditions require a minimum stay of at least ten nights in each rental per calendar year.[7]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Avalon?
Get a license first
What you apply for: Transient Rental License
- Seasonal homes
- 511
- Housing units
- 2,014
- Residents
- 3,338
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleLicense required
- City fee$3,760
- Tax on each stay12%
- Seasonal homes254 per 1,000
Avalon short-term rental license
Avalon property owners need a Transient Rental License before renting a home as a vacation rental. The property must have been vacant, owner occupied or used as the owner's vacation rental for two years. The owner submits a Transient Rental License Application with the fees. The Building Official inspects the property. City staff then schedule the application for a Planning Commission meeting, with a public notice in the newspaper. Neighbors receive that notice by mail. After an approval letter, a two-week grace period runs before the owner asks the finance department about a Business License. A denied applicant has fifteen calendar days to file a written appeal with the City Clerk.[4]
What Avalon asks of you
The city's FAQ treats any rental period of 30 days at most as transient. It allows transient rentals in any zone of the city.[5]
Three things are required: a Transient Rental License, a Business License and payment of transient occupancy tax.[5]
The FY2025-26 fee schedule lists $3,760 per application under the label Conditional Use Permit (Transient Rental).[6]
The schedule's breakdown reads CUP $1,822 and CDP $1,156. Public notice adds $272, with $510 for CEQA.[6]
Each application also carries a Coastal Development Permit, since the city lies entirely within the Coastal Zone.[7]
An application should be denied when one occupant rented the home for more than 30 consecutive days in the two prior years. Adequate mitigating measures can change that outcome.[7]
The standard condition counts two persons for each bedroom, then adds two more, infants included. The Planning Commission may set a different maximum.[7]
Under the standard conditions, decks close to guests at 9:00 p.m. and reopen at 8:00 a.m. every day of the week.[7]
The city's FAQ gives 10 pm as the hour when deck use stops.[5]
One draft resolution on the January 21, 2026 agenda words the posted notice with 8:00 p.m. as the starting hour.[7]
The contact named on the sign must stay physically within Avalon during a stay. Complaints call for a response within 30 minutes of notification.[7]
A manager, agent or owner must meet all guests in person before giving access to the property.[7]
A window sign no larger than two square feet shows the address with the maximum occupancy. It also carries a local 24-hour phone number and the City of Avalon Business License Number.[7]
Any online posting for the rental must identify the property's City of Avalon Business License Number.[7]
The unit is inspected within 30 days of approval, before the use begins. Reinspection follows at least once every three years.[7]
Rentals in the flats may not include a vehicle for guests. The same applies in the Bahia Vista, Canyon Terrace and Sol Vista condominiums.[7]
In a condominium project of 10 units or more, the applicant provides written approval from the association's governing body.[7]
Operating without a business license is a misdemeanor under § 1-2.01 of the Municipal Code. After a revocation, the same licensee waits 12 months for a new license.[7]
To keep the license active, the owner renews the business license every year. Transient occupancy tax must be paid at least once in any twelve month period.[5]
A new owner must reapply after a sale, because the license does not transfer with the property.[5]
The licensing page sets the appeal fee at $922.00.[4]
The FY2025-26 fee schedule prints $977 for an appeal to the Planning Commission. It prints $488 for an appeal to City Council.[6]
A notice posted on September 8, 2023 announced a hearing to extend a moratorium on transient rental licenses for new applicants.[8]
Planning Commission minutes record Transient Rental Licenses approved on December 17, 2025. The January 21, 2026 agenda set further license hearings, with staff recommending approval.[7]
That agenda mentions a Transient Rental License Waitlist. The licensing page states no cap on the number of licenses.[7]
What California asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
No state license exists for short-term rentals in California. The state's 2025 act on booking platforms says it does not preempt a local short-term rental ordinance.[1]
Since July 1, 2024, every mandatory fee has to sit inside the rate you advertise. Only government taxes and fees may be added later.[2]
State law caps city fines when a short-term rental violation threatens health or safety. The first ceiling is $1,500. A second violation within the year reaches $3,000, each later one $5,000.[3]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Avalon
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Avalon transient occupancy tax[5] | 12% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 12% |
Operators collect the tax at the same time as the rent. Reports reach the Finance Department before the month after the reported one ends. Management fees and cleaning fees count as taxable rent. The FAQ does not say whether any platform collects the tax.[5]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Avalon is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 511 of Avalon's 2,014 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 254 out of every 1,000. It ranks Avalon 10th of the 37 California cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 10th of 37
- Share of housing
- 254 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $936,000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Avalon sits among its neighbors
Los Angeles, CA
Primary residence only
With a Home-Sharing registration, for up to 120 days a year unless you hold Extended Home-Sharing.
Los Angeles short-term rental rulesMalibu, CA
Permit required
964 seasonal homes, 150 per 1,000 housing units.
Malibu short-term rental rulesWest Hollywood, CA
License required
465 seasonal homes, 18 per 1,000 housing units.
West Hollywood short-term rental rulesFAQ
Avalon short-term rental questions
How much does a Transient Rental License cost in Avalon?
Can I rent my Avalon home on Airbnb if it was a year-round rental?
Do I need a management company for my Avalon rental?
Is Avalon still under a moratorium on new transient rental licenses?
Sources
- Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025 (SB 346), Government Code sections 50990 to 50996, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Business and Professions Code section 17568.6, lodging price display, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Government Code section 36900, fines for city ordinance violations, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Transient Rental Licenses, City of Avalon, read on October 1, 2026
- FAQs, Transient Rentals, City of Avalon, read on October 1, 2026
- Miscellaneous Fee Schedule FY2025-26 (adopted June 3, 2025), City of Avalon, read on October 1, 2026
- Planning Commission agenda packet, January 21, 2026, City of Avalon, read on October 1, 2026
- Notice of Public Hearing on the moratorium on Transient Rental Licenses (posted September 8, 2023), City of Avalon, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
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