Lakewood, CA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Current rule
- Rentals under 31 days banned citywide (§9320 F.2)
- Wind-down ended
- June 30, 2024 for legacy permits (§9320 F.3)
- Still allowed
- Home-share rentals of 31+ days (§9320 F.1.d)
- Historic license fee
- $40 for up to 8 rooms (§6527.2 E.1)
- Historic occupancy tax
- 8% of rent while permitted (§6903)
- Enforcement
- Administrative Citation, max state fine (§9320 F.3)
Summary
Lakewood's zoning code bans short-term rentals of under 31 days citywide as of June 30, 2024, after a one-year wind-down for previously permitted hosts. While permits still existed, the city taxed short-term stays at 8% and charged a $40 business license fee for up to eight rooms, but new short-term rentals are not allowed anywhere in the city today.
2. Short-Term Rentals of any dwellings (less than thirty-one (31) days) are not allowed. 3. All Short Term Rentals, and any advertising for such, shall be prohibited after June 30, 2023, except as set forth in this subsection. Any property at which there is a valid Short Term Rental Permit which was issued pursuant to the applicable provisions of Title VI of this Code prior to March 1, 2023, may continue to host Short Term Rentals through June 30, 2024, after which date the prohibition shall apply and such Rentals must cease. Any such pre-existing Permit shall be null and void as of June 30, 2023, unless its use is fully compliant with all provisions in this Code pertaining to Short Term Rentals, including but not limited to the full payment of all fees and taxes owed to the City through that date. Thereafter, any Permit remaining in effect shall be automatically and immediately canceled in the event of any violation of any provision of this Code pertaining to Short Term Rentals, including but not limited to delinquency in the payment of any fees or taxes owed to the City.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 9320(F) of the R-1 zoning regulations classifies residential rentals by length of stay. 1 allows only long-term rentals of 31 days or more for whole homes, ADUs, JADUs, and home-share rooms. 3 phased out the exception: short-term rentals and their advertising were prohibited after June 30, 2023, except that a property with a valid Short-Term Rental Permit issued before March 1, 2023, could keep hosting through June 30, 2024. Every pre-existing permit became void unless the operator stayed fully current on fees and taxes, and any violation during the wind-down triggered automatic, immediate cancellation.
50 for each additional room, filed under the same "Rentals" business category as hotels and motels. Because this is a zoning prohibition, enforcement runs through the city's Community Development and code compliance staff rather than the Sheriff's deputies Lakewood contracts with for patrol.
Violations & Fines
Operating a short-term rental after the June 30, 2024 cutoff, or violating any short-term rental provision such as unpaid fees or taxes, subjects the operator to an Administrative Citation under Section 4900 et seq., with fines set at the maximum amount state law allows. Any surviving legacy permit is automatically and immediately canceled the moment a violation occurs, under Section 9320(F)(3), regardless of how long the permit had been in good standing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still legally operate an Airbnb in Lakewood?
What happened to hosts who had a permit before the ban?
Is a 31-day-plus home-share taxed the same as a hotel?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
How Lakewood compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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