Santa Monica, CA short-term rental permit
Santa Monica treats a rental where the host does not live on site as a vacation rental, which its Home-Sharing Ordinance prohibits. A host may run a single home-share in the city. No more than two groups of visitors may be booked for a given date.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Santa Monica?
Get a permit first
What you apply for: Home-sharing permit and home-sharing business license
- Seasonal homes
- 739
- Housing units
- 53,274
- Residents
- 91,169
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City rulePermit required
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay17%
- Seasonal homes14 per 1,000
Santa Monica short-term rental permit
Santa Monica requires a Home-Share permit together with a business license before you host stays of thirty consecutive days at most. The city defines home-sharing as renting bedrooms in the host's primary residence while the host lives on site. Applications go through the city's online system. Both pieces are valid through June 30th, then must be renewed on July 1st of each year. The host proves residence at the address for the prior 12 months. Proof of $500,000 liability insurance is required unless listings run only on Airbnb or HomeAway/VRBO. The city's web page shows a potential total of $582.25 in application fees, while two other city documents print different amounts.[4]
What Santa Monica asks of you
Home-sharing means renting bedrooms in the host's primary residence for thirty consecutive days at most, while the host lives on site throughout the stay.[4]
A proposed host must obtain both a home-sharing permit and a home-sharing business license, applied for together through one application.[5]
Renting a home-share for exclusive transient use counts as a vacation rental, which the Home-Sharing Ordinance prohibits.[5]
Business licenses and Home-Share permits are valid through June 30th. Renewal falls on July 1st of each year.[4]
The proposed host submits two residency documents dated to show at least 12 months at the address before applying. Proof of residence for the following 12 months is also required.[4]
On the web page, the fees are a $75.00 minimum license tax, a $44.85 processing fee and a $458.40 Home-Share Review Fee. With a $4.00 state fee, the web page gives a potential total of $582.25.[4]
The city's PDF application packet prints other amounts: a $334.88 Home-Share Review Fee and a $40.00 processing fee.[6]
The rules revised on November 21, 2019 state a non-refundable $100 initial application fee. They set the renewal application fee at $50.[5]
Occupancy counts the host, other residents and visitors. It may not exceed the lesser of 10 persons, one person per 200 square feet, or two persons per bedroom. Minor children are left out of the per-bedroom count.[5]
Visitors are limited to one vehicle per rented bedroom. In a preferential parking zone the limit is two vehicles, which must use visitor permits.[5]
Every listing must show the business license number issued by the city. It must also state the permitted occupancy and that the host lives on site.[5]
Hosts send the web address of each listing to the Code Enforcement Division within 10 days of approval.[5]
Hosts must show liability insurance for home-sharing of at least $500,000. The city waives that proof for hosts who list only on Airbnb or HomeAway/VRBO.[4]
When an ADU's building permit dates from March 31, 2017 or later, the host must live in that ADU to home-share it.[5]
A tenant hosting in a rent-controlled unit may not earn more per month from home-sharing than the unit's monthly rent.[5]
Two final citations during the permit term suspend the permit for at least 30 days. Three or more revoke it.[5]
The rules cite Municipal Code Section 6.20.100 for fines, penalties or imprisonment. They state no dollar amount.[5]
The host collects the transient occupancy tax, alone or in coordination with a hosting platform.[5]
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 Santa Monica
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica transient occupancy tax (home-share rate)[7] | 17% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 17% |
Reports of room charges are due the first day of each month for tax collected the month before. The city expects payment by the end of that month. The city adds a 10% penalty to any amount paid late.[7]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Santa Monica is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 739 of Santa Monica's 53,274 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 14 out of every 1,000. It ranks Santa Monica 29th of the 37 California cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 29th of 37
- Share of housing
- 14 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $1,755,500
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Santa Monica 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 rulesWest Hollywood, CA
License required
465 seasonal homes, 18 per 1,000 housing units.
West Hollywood short-term rental rulesLong Beach, CA
Registration required
1,292 seasonal homes, 7 per 1,000 housing units.
Long Beach short-term rental rulesFAQ
Santa Monica short-term rental questions
Can I rent my whole home on Airbnb in Santa Monica while I am away?
How much does a Santa Monica home-sharing permit cost?
Can a renter host a home-share in Santa Monica?
What is the tax on a home-share stay in Santa Monica?
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
- How to Apply for a Home-Share Business License, City of Santa Monica, read on October 1, 2026
- Home-Sharing Ordinance Rules and Regulations, revised November 21, 2019, City of Santa Monica, read on October 1, 2026
- Business License Application, Home-Share (application packet), City of Santa Monica, read on October 1, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax, City of Santa Monica, 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 house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.