Hawthorne, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation threshold
- 3+ citations in 12 months disqualifies unit
- Compliance order
- Active order also disqualifies
- Unpaid debt
- Unpaid code fees/fines also disqualify
- Trigger
- Any one condition alone blocks permit
- Post-revocation
- 1-year re-application bar (§17.74.100(D))
Summary
A Hawthorne property loses its shot at a short-term rental permit if it's under an active compliance order, has racked up more than three administrative citations in the past year, or carries unpaid code-violation fees or fines. Hawthorne Municipal Code § 17.74.020(H) makes any of those three strikes an automatic disqualifier for new or renewed permits.
Units proposed as short-term rentals subject to an active compliance order or that have received more than three administration citations from the city within the previous twelve months, or have any unpaid fees, fines or penalties as a result of any violation of the Hawthorne Municipal Code, will be ineligible for a short-term rental permit.
Full Breakdown
020(H) screens out chronically noncompliant properties before they can even apply for a short-term rental permit. ' Any one of the three conditions is enough to block the permit; the applicant does not need to hit all three. 74 violations is building toward the three-citation threshold that locks the property out of the permit system. 100(D). Because the count of eligible citations runs on a rolling twelve months, a property can become eligible again once enough time passes without a fourth citation, but any unpaid fee or fine from a past violation keeps the disqualification in place until it is paid in full.
Violations & Fines
Accumulating more than three administrative citations in twelve months, or leaving city fees, fines or penalties unpaid, blocks a short-term rental permit outright under § 17.74.020(H); it is a permit precondition, not a separate penalty. Operating anyway despite disqualification exposes the host to the chapter's own enforcement under § 17.74.090: a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or an administrative citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many code violations can a Hawthorne short-term rental have before losing eligibility?
Can unpaid fines block my short-term rental permit?
If my permit is revoked, how soon can I reapply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
California rules heatmap·Compare Hawthorne to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Repeat Violator Strikes in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle repeat violator strikes.