LA County Code Title 4.72 imposes a 12 percent transient occupancy tax on lodging stays under 30 days in unincorporated areas, including hotels, motels, and short-term rentals. The Treasurer-Tax Collector registers operators and audits monthly remittances.
Title 4.72 of the LA County Code applies the TOT to any room rental of fewer than 30 consecutive days in unincorporated communities such as Marina del Rey, Topanga, Altadena, and the Antelope Valley unincorporated belt. Operators register with the Treasurer-Tax Collector, post the rate, and collect 12 percent of room charges at check-out. Returns and payments are due monthly. Short-term-rental platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have voluntary collection agreements with LA County to remit on hosts' behalf in unincorporated zones. Government employees on official business and stays of 30 nights or longer are exempt. Cities including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood run separate TOTs at their own rates.
Operators that fail to register, collect, or remit owe back tax, a 10 percent late penalty, interest, and may face misdemeanor prosecution and license revocation under LA County Code Title 4.72.
See how Compton's transient occupancy tax rules stack up against other locations.
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