Night Caps: Altadena vs Santa Monica
How do night caps rules compare between Altadena, CA and Santa Monica, CA?
Altadena and Santa Monica have similar restriction levels.
Altadena, CA
Los Angeles County
Un-hosted short-term rentals in Altadena are capped at 90 nights per calendar year. Hosted stays (host on-site) have no annual cap, but every stay is limited to 30 consecutive days or less.
View full Altadena rules →Santa Monica, CA
Los Angeles County
Santa Monica does not impose an annual night cap on hosted home-sharing, but requires the host to be on-site for every night of every stay. Hosts may not book more than two groups of visitors for any given date. Vacation rentals (unhosted) are completely prohibited regardless of duration.
View full Santa Monica rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Altadena | Santa Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Code Section | LA County 7.96.060.J | - |
| Un-Hosted Cap | 90 nights/year | - |
| Hosted Cap | No annual cap | - |
| Max Single Stay | 30 consecutive days | - |
| Min Un-Hosted Stay | 2 nights | - |
| Annual Night Cap | - | None (host must be on-site) |
| Max Groups/Night | - | 2 groups per date |
| Host Presence | - | Required at all times |
| Code | - | SMMC Ch. 6.20 |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Altadena FAQ
How many nights can I Airbnb my whole house in Altadena?
90 nights per calendar year if the host is not present (un-hosted), per LA County Code 7.96.060.J. There is no annual cap for hosted stays.
Is there a minimum stay?
Yes — 1 night minimum for hosted stays, 2 nights for un-hosted (7.96.060.H and .I).
Santa Monica FAQ
Is there a limit on how many nights I can home-share in Santa Monica?
No annual night cap, but the host must be present on-site for every night. You cannot book more than two groups of visitors for any given date.
Can I leave my property while guests are staying?
No. Santa Monica requires the host to live on-site throughout the visitor's stay. Leaving converts the home-share into an illegal vacation rental subject to penalties.
Compare other topics
See how Altadena and Santa Monica compare on other ordinance categories.
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