Los Angeles short-term rental laws (2026)
Los Angeles calls it Home-Sharing, and the name is the rule. You can rent out only the home you live in, once it is registered with Los Angeles City Planning.[1]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 14, 2026.
Is Airbnb legal in Los Angeles?
Legal, in your primary residence
With a Home-Sharing registration, for up to 120 days a year unless you hold Extended Home-Sharing.
8 official sources · verified September 14, 2026
Photo: Venti Views on Unsplash
- PermitRequired · $441 base fee, adjusted each year
- Primary residenceRequired
- Number on listingRequired
- Night cap120 days a year unless Extended
Los Angeles short-term rental laws
Los Angeles lets you host only in your primary residence, the home you live in more than six months a year. You register first, with Los Angeles City Planning, under what the city calls Home-Sharing. A Regular registration buys you 120 days a year. Extended Home-Sharing removes that cap after six months on the register or 60 hosted days. Rent-stabilized units are excluded. The registration number goes on every listing, and every day past 120 without Extended status is fined $2,000.[1]
Every Los Angeles rule, sorted by what it asks
Filter by topic. Each line carries the number of its official source, listed at the bottom of the page.
You must
- Register for Home-Sharing with City Planning[1]
- Live in the home more than six months of the year[1][2]
- Provide photo ID and proof of residence[1]
- Renters: have your landlord sign a notarized Landlord Affidavit[1]
- Show your registration number on every listing[1]
- Renew every 12 months, applying up to 60 days before expiration[1]
- Hold a Regular registration 6 months or host 60 days before Extended[1]
- Host only in zones where residential use is permitted by right[2][4]
- ADU permit filed since 2017: host only if the ADU is your primary residence[2]
- Provide fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, exit info[2]
- Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone: say no outdoor smoking in ads and on patios[2]
- Get a TOT registration certificate within 30 days of starting[7]
- Report your nights and pay a per-night fee every month[1]
You must not
- Host more than 120 days a year without Extended Home-Sharing[2]
- Hold more than one registration or run more than one unit at a time[2]
- Transfer the registration, even when you move[3]
- Have an open code violation, citation, order or ticket on the property[1]
- Home-Share a home under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance[1]
- Home-Share the other unit of a duplex you live in[3]
- Home-Share in a vehicle, shed, trailer, tent or temporary structure[2]
- Let more than one listing at the property be booked at a time[3]
- Host more than 2 overnight guests per habitable room, children not counted[2]
- Allow amplified sound after 10:00 pm or evening outdoor gatherings over 8[2]
Stays of 31 days or more in Los Angeles
- Los Angeles keeps short-term rentals to the home you live in. A stay of 31 consecutive days or more is not a short-term rental under its rules.[2]
- The city's FAQ also says listings advertised for 30 nights or longer are exempt.
- At that length, a guest can gain tenant rights, and lodging tax and insurance work differently.
What a new permit costs
Base fees under Ordinance No. 188,796, in effect since February 23, 2026
$441Regular application
- Regular Home-Sharing$441
What other cases cost
- Regular renewal$441
- Extended clearance or renewal$883
- Extended discretionary review$12,798
Base fees are adjusted every year for inflation using the Los Angeles area Consumer Price Index.[6]
How to apply in Los Angeles
Official name: Home-Sharing registration (Regular or Extended)
- 1
Check that the home is your primary residence, is not under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Housing tab in ZIMAS) and has no open code violations.[1]
- 2
If you rent, have your landlord sign the Landlord Affidavit before a notary.[1]
- 3
Apply through City Planning's online registration portal with your photo ID and proof of residence, and pay the fee.[1]
- 4
Register with the Office of Finance and get a Business Tax Registration Certificate.[1]
- 5
Once City Planning issues your registration number, display it on every Home-Sharing listing.[1]
Five jurisdictions, same questions
The Los Angeles column comes from the official sources on this page. The other columns show the headline rule from each WonderGuest page. Open a page for the full detail.
| Question | Los Angeles | San Bernardino County | San Diego | Avalon | Malibu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | Required$441 base fee, adjusted each year | Required$1,144 new, 1 year | Required$226 to $1,170 by tier, 2 years | Required$3,760 | Required$372 |
| Primary residence | Required | Not required | Varies | Not required | Not required |
| Night cap | 120 days a year unless Extended | None published | 20 days a year on Tier 1 | None published by the city | None in Ordinance No. 468 |
| Number on listing | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Occupancy tax | 14% city TOT, Airbnb collects | 7% county TOT, Airbnb collects | 11.75 to 13.75% TOT, Airbnb collects | 12% | 15% |
| San Bernardino County short-term rental rules | San Diego short-term rental rules | Avalon short-term rental rules | Malibu short-term rental rules |
Coming up
What's changing
No change with an effective date appears in the official sources on this page as of September 14, 2026.
FAQ
Los Angeles short-term rental questions
Do Airbnbs have to be primary residences in Los Angeles?
Do I need a permit to host on Airbnb in Los Angeles?
Can I host more than 120 days a year in Los Angeles?
Can I Home-Share a rent-stabilized apartment in Los Angeles?
How do I report an unregistered Airbnb next door in Los Angeles?
Sources
- Home-Sharing program page, Los Angeles City Planning, read on September 14, 2026
- Home-Sharing Ordinance No. 185,931 (LAMC 12.22 A.32), City of Los Angeles, read on September 14, 2026
- Home-Sharing Ordinance background and FAQs, Los Angeles City Planning, read on September 14, 2026
- Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines (June 28, 2019), Los Angeles City Planning, read on September 14, 2026
- Updated Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines (July 14, 2026), Los Angeles City Planning, read on September 14, 2026
- Ordinance No. 188,796, comprehensive fee update, City of Los Angeles, read on September 14, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax requirements, City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, read on September 14, 2026
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance in California, Airbnb Help Center, read on September 14, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 14, 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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