Bellflower, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

A primary-residence requirement is a tool cities use to permit limited home-sharing while blocking investor-run STRs. Bellflower has not adopted that middle ground; its Municipal Code does not authorize short-term rental of homes in residential zones whether or not the host lives there. Because there is no STR ordinance, there is no owner-occupancy threshold, no primary-residence affidavit, and no distinction between hosted and non-hosted stays - the use simply is not permitted in residential zones. The closest the code comes to addressing in-home transient use is its treatment of accessory dwelling units: under Bellflower's ADU regulations (Ordinance No. 1401), an ADU or junior ADU must be rented for a term of 30 days or longer, which prevents an owner from short-term-renting a backyard unit even on their own primary-residence parcel. Transient lodging in Bellflower is otherwise treated as a hotel or motel use directed to the General Commercial zone, where the operator is a lodging business rather than a resident. The result is stricter than a primary-residence rule: an owner-occupant cannot legally run a short-term rental of their house, a guest room, or an ADU in Bellflower. Owners who want to confirm whether any limited rental arrangement is possible on their parcel should contact the Planning Division before listing.