Night Caps: Long Beach vs Santa Monica
How do night caps rules compare between Long Beach, CA and Santa Monica, CA?
Long Beach has fewer restrictions than Santa Monica.
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles County
Long Beach caps un-hosted primary residence STRs at 90 nights per registration year under LBMC Chapter 5.77. Hosted primary residence and non-primary residence STRs have no annual night cap. The city limits non-primary residence registrations to 800 citywide, with 350 in the coastal zone.
View full Long Beach 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 | Long Beach | Santa Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Un-hosted Cap | 90 nights/year (primary) | - |
| Hosted Cap | No annual limit | - |
| Max Occupancy | 2/bedroom + 2, max 8 | - |
| Citywide STR Cap | 800 non-primary | - |
| Code | LBMC Ch. 5.77 | SMMC Ch. 6.20 |
| Annual Night Cap | - | None (host must be on-site) |
| Max Groups/Night | - | 2 groups per date |
| Host Presence | - | Required at all times |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Long Beach FAQ
Is there a night cap for Airbnb rentals in Long Beach?
Only for un-hosted primary residence STRs, which are capped at 90 nights per registration year. Hosted rentals and non-primary residence STRs have no annual night limit.
How many short-term rentals does Long Beach allow?
Primary residence STRs have no citywide cap. Non-primary residence registrations are capped at 800 total, with 350 allowed in the coastal zone.
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
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