Los Angeles Short-Term Rental Regulations: Complete Compliance Guide 2026

1. Registration & Licensing

Eligibility Requirements

Before applying, verify your property qualifies for Los Angeles home-sharing:

Primary residence: You must live at the property at least 183 days per year (6+ months)
Not rent-stabilized: Properties subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) — most non-single-family units built before 1978 — are prohibited
Not an ADU: Accessory Dwelling Units, subsidized housing, and units with affordability covenants are excluded
Residential use: The structure must be built for residential purposes

How to Register (Step by Step)

Gather your documents: Valid photo ID (driver's license, state ID, or passport). If your ID address matches the property, you need 1 additional proof of residency. If it doesn't match, you need 2 additional proofs. Acceptable documents include California voter registration card or vehicle registration certificate.
If you're a renter: You need a notarized affidavit from your landlord authorizing home-sharing at the property.
Apply online: Submit your application at planning.lacity.org/home-sharing
Receive your Pending Number: You'll get a Pending Registration Status Number immediately upon submitting a complete application. You can begin listing and accepting bookings with this Pending number.
Final approval: Your full registration number is issued once the City completes review (typically a few weeks).
Display your number: Your registration number must appear on ALL listings and advertisements before you go live.

Fees

Type	Fee	Duration
Standard Home-Sharing	$199	1 year
Extended Home-Sharing (365 days)	$1,066	1 year
Extended with Discretionary Review	$1,066 + $5,660	1 year

The Extended permit allows hosting year-round (365 days instead of 120). To qualify, you must have been registered for at least 6 months OR have hosted a minimum of 60 days, have no suspended/revoked registrations in the past 2 years, and no more than 1 citation in the past 3 years.

2. Tax Obligations

Los Angeles charges a 14% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on all stays of 30 consecutive days or fewer. This applies to the full rental amount including cleaning fees.

What Platforms Handle

Airbnb has had a collection agreement with the City of Los Angeles since August 2016. If you list on Airbnb or VRBO, they automatically collect and remit the 14% TOT on your behalf. You don't need to file separately for those bookings.

If You File Independently

For direct bookings or platforms without a City agreement, you must register for a TOT certificate and file monthly returns by the 25th of the following month. Register at finance.lacity.gov.

Record Keeping

Keep all booking and revenue records for a minimum of 3 years. The City can request these records at any time for audit purposes.

3. Operating Restrictions

120-Day Annual Limit

Standard registrations allow a maximum of 120 hosted nights per calendar year. This limit resets on January 1st and is counted cumulatively across ALL platforms — if you list on both Airbnb and VRBO, both count toward the same 120-day cap.

Occupancy Rules

Maximum 2 overnight guests per habitable room (children are not counted)
Only one listing can be booked at a time at the same property — you cannot rent out two separate rooms simultaneously

Noise and Gathering Rules

No amplified sound after 10:00 PM
Maximum 8 people for outdoor evening gatherings (excluding children)
Hosts are liable for guest violations of these rules

4. Safety Requirements

You must provide and maintain the following safety equipment:

Fire extinguisher: Working and easily accessible to guests
Smoke detectors: In each sleeping room, outside sleeping areas, and on every story of the house (including basement and habitable attic). Must be 10-year sealed units.
Carbon monoxide detectors: Required if the property has gas appliances, a fireplace, or an attached garage

Guest Code of Conduct

You are required to provide every guest with a written Code of Conduct that includes the location of all safety equipment, an emergency evacuation plan, noise rules (10 PM amplified sound cutoff), and gathering limits (8-person outdoor evening maximum).

5. Insurance Requirements

Los Angeles requires all STR hosts to maintain $1,000,000 in liability insurance. This must be separate from your standard homeowners insurance, which typically excludes short-term rental activity.

You must provide proof of insurance when applying for your registration and at every renewal. Platform coverage (Airbnb Host Protection, VRBO liability) is considered secondary insurance only and does not satisfy the City's requirement.

6. Fines & Penalties

Los Angeles enforces compliance aggressively. Fines were adjusted for inflation in September 2025:

Violation	Fine
Listing without registration	$500/day or 2x nightly rate (whichever is greater)
Advertising unregistered property	$605.73/day
Exceeding 120-day limit	$2,422.89/day or 2x nightly rate (whichever is greater)
6th+ violation (including gatherings)	$8,000 per violation
Platform processing non-compliant listing	$1,000/day per listing

Unpaid fines can be added to your property tax bill. Your registration can be suspended or revoked for repeat violations. The City has identified over 2,200 illegal listings in recent enforcement sweeps, and random audits are expanding.

California SB 346 Impact

As of January 2026, California's SB 346 requires Airbnb, VRBO, and all booking platforms to share host data with cities on a quarterly or monthly basis. This includes property addresses, assessor parcel numbers, and listing URLs. Cities can now automatically detect non-compliant listings — enforcement has shifted from reactive to proactive.

7. What Platforms Handle vs What You Handle

Platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) Handle:

Collect and remit the 14% TOT
Verify a valid registration number exists on listings
Remove non-compliant listings
Report listing data to the City (under SB 346)
Provide secondary host protection insurance

You Must Handle:

Register and obtain your City Home-Sharing permit ($199)
Track your booking days cumulatively across ALL platforms (120-day limit)
Install and maintain all safety equipment
Obtain $1,000,000 liability insurance independently
Provide the Guest Code of Conduct to every guest
Keep 3 years of booking and revenue records
Renew your registration annually (submit 30 days before expiration)
Display your registration number on all listings and advertisements
Enforce noise and gathering rules (you are liable for guest violations)

8. Key Deadlines & Renewal

Deadline	Details
Registration renewal	Submit 30 days before expiration. Fee: $199 (standard) or $1,066 (extended)
120-day cap reset	January 1st each year — new allocation begins
TOT monthly filing	Due by the 25th of the following month (if filing independently)
Record retention	Keep all booking records for minimum 3 years
Extended permit eligibility	After 6 months registered OR 60 cumulative hosted days

Los Angeles Short-Term Rental Regulations

Quick Facts — Los Angeles STR Compliance