Norwalk, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

32's definition of "hotel" sweeps in any structure, or portion of a structure, occupied by transients for lodging or sleeping purposes, language broad enough to cover a short-term vacation rental as well as a traditional motel. Anyone operating such a property must register with the Finance Director within 30 days of the ordinance's effective date or within 30 days of commencing business, whichever comes later, and obtain a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate. The certificate must be posted at all times in a conspicuous place on the premises and must show the operator's name (and the managing agent's, if any), the address of the property, and the date of issuance.

32 does not authorize any unlawful business activity and does not itself constitute a permit or business license, so a short-term rental host must still separately satisfy any zoning, business-license, or other requirement found elsewhere in the Code. Registration is tied directly to the City's tax-collection duties: once registered, the operator must collect the 10% Transient Occupancy Tax from each guest, remit it quarterly to the Finance Director, and keep records supporting the tax collected for at least three years, open to inspection by the Finance Director at reasonable times. 140, alongside furnishing a false return or refusing a records inspection.