13 verified short-term rentals rules for Los Angeles, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
The Home-Sharing Ordinance (LAMC 12.22 A.32, effective Nov 2019) requires registration with LA City Planning before listing any short-term rental. Only primary residences where the host lives 6+ months per year qualify. Registration costs $89 annually and must be renewed each year. STRs are not permitted in RSO units.
The Home-Sharing Ordinance codifies 10 PM quiet hours for all STR guests. Hosts must provide a Code of Conduct to every guest covering noise and good-neighbor rules. Standard LAMC noise ordinance (Chapter XI) also applies. Repeated noise complaints can trigger registration revocation.
Los Angeles imposes a 14% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on STR stays of 30 nights or less. Hosts must collect and remit unless the platform remits on their behalf.
The Home-Sharing Ordinance does not impose additional parking requirements beyond standard residential rules in LAMC 12.21. Hosts are encouraged to provide parking information to guests. Parking disputes are among the most common neighbor complaints leading to STR enforcement actions.
Under LAMC 12.22 A.32(d)(11), no more than 2 overnight guests (not including children) are permitted per habitable room. Habitable rooms exclude kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, closets, and utility rooms. Only one booking may be active at a time even if multiple rooms are listed.
California Health & Safety Code Sec. 17920.3 (Substandard Building Definition — Occupancy/Habitability Standards)
17920.3. Any building or portion thereof, regardless of zoning designation or approved uses of the building, including any dwelling unit, guestroom or suite of rooms, or the premises on which the same is located, in which there exists any of the following listed conditions to an extent that endangers the life, limb, health, property, safety, or welfare of the occupants of the building, nearby r...
The Home-Sharing Ordinance does not mandate a specific insurance policy, but standard homeowner or renter policies typically exclude commercial activity. The city strongly recommends dedicated STR insurance covering guest injury, property damage, and legal defense. Hosting platforms like Airbnb provide supplemental coverage but it may have gaps.
LA Home-Sharing Ordinance caps standard short-term rental permits at 120 nights per year. An Extended Home-Sharing Permit allows unlimited nights but requires prior operating history.
LA requires Home-Sharing Registration through the Planning Department HSR system. Primary-residence-only, 89 dollar fee, registration number must appear on all platform listings.
Los Angeles does not require the host to be physically present during a home-share rental, but the dwelling must remain the host's primary residence and the host must hold a valid Home-Sharing Registration under LAMC §12.22 A.32.
Los Angeles allows short-term home-sharing only at the host's primary residence under LAMC §12.22 A.32(a)(2), defined as the dwelling occupied by the host for at least six months of the calendar year and listed on tax filings.
Los Angeles revokes Home-Sharing registrations after three citations within twelve months. A revoked host is barred from re-registering for three years, and unruly-gathering citations under LAMC §41.40 also count toward the strike total under LAMC §12.22 A.32(c)(8).
Under LAMC §12.22 A.32(j), booking platforms like Airbnb and VRBO must display a valid Home-Sharing registration number on every Los Angeles listing and remove unpermitted listings within a short window after city notice. Platforms face per-listing fines for non-compliance.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Los Angeles city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Los Angeles County →