Gardena, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Insurance minimum
- $1,000,000 combined single limit
- Proof deadline
- 45 days after conditional approval
- Renewal
- Annually for the 5-year permit
- Platform coverage
- Acceptable if documented
Summary
Gardena requires every home sharing host to carry one million dollars in general liability insurance under Municipal Code Section 5.76.050.D.3, submitted within forty-five days of conditional permit approval, with proof required annually or documentation that the hosting platform itself provides equivalent coverage.
Once an applicant has been notified that they will receive a home sharing permit for the following period, the applicant shall have forty-five days to provide the city with the information listed below. ... ... 3. Proof of general liability insurance in the amount of one million dollars combined single limit. Insurance must be kept up to date on a yearly basis and a copy of the policy must be provided to the city upon request in subsequent years of the rental period. The insurance requirement may be satisfied if the host lists only on hosting platforms that provide the host with this level of insurance. In such a case, the host must provide the city with a copy of the agreement between the host and the hosting platform that evidences the requisite insurance coverage.
Full Breakdown
Section 5.76.050.D sets a forty-five-day clock: once the city notifies an applicant that they will receive a home sharing permit for the coming period, the applicant has forty-five days to supply three items before the permit actually issues, business license evidence, a transient occupancy registration certificate, and proof of general liability insurance in the amount of one million dollars combined single limit, under subsection D.3. The insurance must be renewed yearly and the host must produce a copy of the policy to the city on request in later years of the five-year permit period.
Subsection D.3 also builds in a safe harbor: a host satisfies the insurance requirement if they list exclusively on hosting platforms that themselves provide guests and hosts with that level of coverage, but in that case the host must give the city a copy of the host-platform agreement proving the coverage exists. There is no lesser tier for smaller units or single-bedroom listings; the one-million-dollar combined single limit applies uniformly to every permitted home sharing rental in the city, and failure to supply it within the forty-five-day window keeps the permit from being issued at all.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide proof of the required $1,000,000 general liability coverage within forty-five days blocks permit issuance outright; operating home sharing without the resulting permit is unlawful under Section 5.76.120.A and triggers Chapter 1.16's misdemeanor penalty (up to $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both) plus a Chapter 1.20 administrative citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much liability insurance do Gardena hosts need?
Does Airbnb's host insurance satisfy the requirement?
What happens if I miss the 45-day insurance deadline?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gardena
California rules heatmap·Compare Gardena to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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