Westminster, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Westminster Code § 9.74.030
- Adopted by
- Ordinance 2566 § 3 (2020)
- Booking rule
- No completing bookings while collecting a fee
- Ancillary fees barred
- Cleaning, concierge, catering, tours, management
- Underlying ban
- Stays of 30 days or less barred citywide
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Westminster Code § 9.74.030 bars hosting platforms from completing a booking transaction for a residential property when the platform collects a fee, and from charging fees for cleaning, concierge, catering, tours or property management tied to a rental. The rule enforces the city's outright ban on renting homes for stays of 30 days or less in residential and mixed-use zones under § 9.74.020.
A. Hosting platforms shall not complete any booking transaction for any residential property at the time the hosting platform receives a fee for the booking transaction. B. Hosting platforms shall not collect or receive a fee, directly or indirectly through an agent or intermediary, for facilitating or providing services ancillary to a residential property rental, including, but not limited to, insurance, concierge services, catering, restaurant bookings, tours, guide services, entertainment, cleaning, property management, or maintenance of the residential property or unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
010 as any person or entity that facilitates a short-term rental for an owner and derives revenue from that facilitation, including booking fees, subscription charges or advertising revenue; the definition excludes anyone licensed to practice real estate under Business and Professions Code § 10130. 020 makes it unlawful to offer, rent, occupy or advertise a residential dwelling, dwelling unit or room for transient use, defined as a rental of 30 days or less, in residential or mixed-use zones or in nonresidential zones developed with residential uses.
030 then places two direct duties on the platform rather than the property owner: subsection A stops a platform from completing a booking transaction for a residential property at the time it receives a fee for that booking, and subsection B stops it from collecting or receiving a fee, directly or through an agent or intermediary, for services ancillary to the rental such as insurance, concierge services, catering, restaurant bookings, tours, guide services, entertainment, cleaning, property management or maintenance. 040 exempts hotels, motels, lodging houses and other transient living quarters that are expressly permitted and operated under the Westminster Municipal Code, so the platform duties reach only unpermitted residential short-term rentals. 010.
Violations & Fines
A violation defaults to Westminster Code § 1.12.010's general penalty: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, unless the city attorney elects to charge it as an infraction, in which case fines run $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $500 for each additional offense. Each day a platform keeps booking or collecting a barred fee is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I book a Westminster house for a weekend on Airbnb?
What specifically can't a hosting platform charge for?
Does this apply to hotels booked through the same platforms?
Who does the ordinance define as a 'hosting platform'?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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