Alhambra, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

The City of Alhambra's short-term rental ordinance, Chapter 5.92, contains no insurance requirement: it does not require hosts to carry a minimum amount of general liability coverage, does not require an indemnification or hold-harmless agreement with the City, and does not require naming the City as an additional insured. This distinguishes Alhambra from cities that mandate, for example, $500,000 or $1,000,000 in liability coverage for STRs. What the ordinance does require in place of insurance is a safety regime: Section 5.92.040(2) requires a Building Inspection Report completed by a certified third-party general contractor or building/home inspector at initial application and each annual renewal, and the inspection checklist verifies smoke alarms in every sleeping room and hallway, carbon-monoxide alarms on every floor, GFCI-protected outlets in kitchens and bathrooms, a working heating system, a hot-water heater set to a safe 120F, secure stairs/handrails/balconies, and an operable window or door in each sleeping room. The host must also post an evacuation plan and emergency contacts for guests (5.92.050(9)). Because no policy is mandated by the City, hosts typically rely on a homeowner's or dedicated STR policy and on host-protection coverage offered by booking platforms; that coverage is voluntary from the City's standpoint. State law does not require STR liability insurance, leaving the matter to local ordinance, and Alhambra did not adopt an insurance mandate.