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

Alhambra adopted its own short-term rental rules as Chapter 5.92 of the Alhambra Municipal Code by Ordinance No. O2M24-4836, adopted October 14, 2024 and effective November 24, 2024. This is the incorporated city's code, not Los Angeles County's; the County's unincorporated STR rules and TOT do not govern inside Alhambra city limits. Section 5.92.020 defines a short-term rental as a residential dwelling unit, or portion of one, offered to paying guests for 30 or fewer consecutive nights (hotels, motels, and inns are excluded). Section 5.92.040 states that on and after March 1, 2025 a host with an eligible dwelling must obtain an STR permit from the City before offering the unit for rent, and a host may obtain only one STR permit for one dwelling unit citywide. A 'host' must be a natural person who owns the property (or a family trust whose beneficiaries are all natural persons); LLCs, corporations, and other business entities are excluded. The application is filed on a Finance Department form signed under penalty of perjury. A building inspection report by a certified third-party general contractor, building, or home inspector must accompany the initial application and each annual renewal. Permits are valid one year, are non-transferable, do not run with the land, and the City issues a maximum of 500 active permits at any time, with renewals taking priority and a waiting list once the cap is reached. Eligible dwellings (5.92.030) are single-family residences, duplexes, condominiums, townhomes, and multi-family buildings of fewer than five units, in all zones except Industrial; ADUs and JADUs are prohibited.