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

The City of Whittier added Chapter 5.68 to Title 5 (Business Licenses, Taxes and Regulations) of the Whittier Municipal Code and amended Title 18 (Zoning) when the City Council unanimously approved the STR ordinance on July 8, 2025. Before that vote, the framework had been developed through an August 8, 2023 staff report ('Best Practices for City's Regulation of Short-Term Residential Rentals') that recommended a hybrid permitting scheme rather than an outright ban. Under the adopted rules, an operator must hold a City business license and a Short-Term Rental Permit, both obtained before renting a unit. The STR permit application is processed alongside the business license and carries conditions of approval similar to the City's home-occupation form. The 2023 staff report recommended renewing the STR permit every six months (rather than annually) so permits issued to problem operators can be revoked more quickly. A critical eligibility limit was added at adoption: STRs are prohibited in all areas mapped as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and only properties in the lower-risk areas of the City may apply for a permit. The unit may not be an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) or Junior ADU, because Whittier's ADU ordinance already bars rentals shorter than 31 days; every applicant must confirm the unit is neither an ADU nor a JADU. Exterior signs advertising the STR are prohibited. This is a city ordinance distinct from Los Angeles County's STR program, which governs only unincorporated areas; incorporated Whittier sets its own rules.