Hawthorne, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Hawthorne caps the number of overnight guests in a short-term rental through an occupancy formula in Chapter 17.74. The code provides that a short-term rental shall not be used by more than two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests at one time. For example, a two-bedroom unit would be limited to six guests (two per bedroom, plus two), and a three-bedroom unit to eight. This formula is intended to keep rentals scaled to the residential character of the neighborhood and to prevent party-house or over-occupancy problems. The occupancy rule works alongside other structural limits: short-term rentals are only allowed in single-family residences, duplexes, triplexes, planned unit developments, and multifamily buildings with no more than four dwelling units, and never in accessory dwelling units, Section 8 housing, or commercial and industrial zones. Because Hawthorne treats the rental as an accessory use of a primary or qualifying secondary residence, the occupancy cap reinforces that the property remains a home rather than a de facto lodging business. California state law does not set a uniform short-term rental occupancy cap, leaving this to local jurisdictions, so Hawthorne's two-per-bedroom-plus-two standard is a city-specific limit. Operators should count guests against this maximum when accepting bookings, as exceeding it is a code violation that can jeopardize the permit.