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

There is no standalone 'STR permit' chapter in the South Gate Municipal Code, but two existing instruments apply to every short-term rental host. First, SGMC Chapter 2.08 (Business License Tax) requires anyone conducting business in the city — including renting a dwelling unit for compensation — to obtain a business license from the South Gate Finance Department / Business License Division. Second, SGMC Chapter 2.74 (Transient Occupancy Tax) requires every 'operator' renting to a 'transient' (defined in Ch. 2.74 as any person occupying the unit for not more than 30 consecutive calendar days) to register with the Tax Administrator and receive a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate within 30 days of starting the activity. The certificate must be posted at the property. Ordinance No. 2021-01-CC, adopted by the City Council, establishes the operational standards that single-family STRs must meet — including liability insurance, compliance with the Form-Based Development Code, parking provisions, and the Ch. 7.44 noise limits. Importantly, the city's TOT certificate is NOT a land-use permit: SGMC §2.74 explicitly states the certificate 'does not constitute a permit' and does not authorize unlawful business or override any other local code (zoning, building, fire). Hosts must verify that their property's zone in SGMC Ch. 11.25 (Residential Neighborhood Zones — NL, NM, CV, OS) and the use definitions in Ch. 11.21 (Land Use Types) permit transient lodging. Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §7280 grants California cities the authority to levy this TOT.