Long Beach, CA short-term rental registration
Long Beach lets one operator run a single primary residence rental plus a single non-primary one. In the coastal zone, the code allows at most 350 non-primary registrations. Each violation of the chapter carries a $1,000 fine.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Long Beach?
Register before you list
What you apply for: Short-term rental (STR) registration
- Seasonal homes
- 1,292
- Housing units
- 181,477
- Residents
- 455,548
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleRegistration required
- City fee$500
- Tax on each stay13%
- Seasonal homes7 per 1,000
Long Beach short-term rental registration
Long Beach hosts must apply for a short-term rental registration, the city's term, to rent a home for 30 consecutive days at most. The city says the registration itself has no fee, while the fee to review the application is $500.00. Renewal applications cost the same each year. A Primary Residence registration allows unlimited hosted stays, with un-hosted stays capped at 90 days per registration period. Non-Primary Residence registrations are limited to 800 at any time, with a waiting list once that limit is reached. The registration number has to be posted on all listings. Hosts report transient occupancy tax monthly at a rate of 13%.[4]
What Long Beach asks of you
No person may advertise, rent or operate a short-term rental unless the city has issued a short-term rental registration.[5]
There are two registration types, Primary Residence and Non-Primary Residence. An individual may obtain one of each.[4]
The city says there is no fee for the registration itself. The fee to review a registration application is $500.00, with the same amount due for each renewal application.[4]
A registration lasts one year, counted from its issuance date. It cannot be transferred, since it does not run with the land.[5]
A primary residence is where a person lives for a minimum of 275 days during the calendar year.[5]
Un-hosted stays in a primary residence rental are limited to 90 days per annual term of registration.[5]
Non-primary residence registrations may not exceed 800 dwelling units citywide. In the coastal zone the maximum is 350.[5]
A property with up to 10 qualified dwelling units may have one short-term rental. Larger developments are capped at 10%, 12% or 15% of units by size.[4]
Accessory dwelling units, junior accessory dwelling units and deed restricted affordable housing units cannot be registered.[5]
All marketing of the rental, including any listing on a hosting platform, must clearly list the registration number with its expiration date.[5]
Occupancy is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two, with an absolute maximum of eight. Children count toward that total, with a studio limited to two.[5]
An emergency contact person must respond within one hour to complaints forwarded by the city, at any hour of any day.[5]
Outdoor pools, spas and hot tubs close at 10:00 p.m. under the city code. They reopen at 7:00 a.m.[5]
The operator keeps liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 in the aggregate. Booking every stay through a platform that provides this coverage also satisfies the code.[5]
After an application is submitted, the city inspects the property for hazardous or unsafe conditions before issuing the registration.[5]
Each violation is fined $1,000. Three citations within 18 months can lead to revocation, after which the parcel cannot be registered for at least 12 months.[5]
The California Coastal Commission approved the ordinance on May 13, 2022. Enforcement in the coastal zone began on September 6, 2022.[7]
A notice on the city's short-term rental page says Long Beach is reviewing its ordinance for possible updates. The notice gives no date.[4]
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 Long Beach
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach transient occupancy tax[6] | 13% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 13% |
The city says it has a voluntary collection agreement with Airbnb, which collects the tax for registered rentals. On all other platforms, hosts collect it themselves. Every host still reports monthly by the 10th, even for a month with $0.00 in rentals.[4]
What the census counts
How much of Long Beach is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 1,292 of Long Beach's 181,477 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 7 out of every 1,000. It ranks Long Beach 34th of the 42 California cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 34th of 42
- Share of housing
- 7 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $806,600
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Long Beach 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 rulesPasadena, CA
Permit required
746 seasonal homes, 12 per 1,000 housing units.
Pasadena short-term rental rulesSanta Monica, CA
Permit required
739 seasonal homes, 14 per 1,000 housing units.
Santa Monica short-term rental rulesBerkeley, CA
Certificate required
363 seasonal homes, 7 per 1,000 housing units.
Berkeley short-term rental rulesFAQ
Long Beach short-term rental questions
How much does it cost to register a short-term rental in Long Beach?
Can I rent a second home in Long Beach on Airbnb?
Can I register an ADU as a short-term rental in Long Beach?
What is the late penalty on Long Beach transient occupancy tax?
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
- Short-Term Rentals (STRs), City of Long Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 5.77, Short-Term Rentals, City of Long Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax, City of Long Beach, read on October 1, 2026
- City of Long Beach to Begin Enforcement of Registered Short-Term Rentals in Coastal Zone (August 10, 2022), City of Long Beach, 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
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb income calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.