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Los Angeles Short-Term Rental Rules: What Hosts Need to Know in 2026
Los Angeles regulates short-term rentals as home-sharing, which means the unit must be the host’s primary residence and the host may register only one property. The standard registration costs $441 and is valid for one year.
The annual limit is 120 nights. A host who wants to exceed it must apply separately for Extended Home-Sharing, which carries its own administrative clearance fee and, for complex cases, discretionary review.
A primary-residence program with a 120-night annual cap
Los Angeles does not license investment properties as short-term rentals. Home-sharing is limited to the residence where the host lives more than six months of the calendar year, and only one property may be registered.
The standard certificate allows 120 nights per calendar year. Hosts who need more must apply for Extended Home-Sharing, which requires separate administrative clearance and may go through discretionary review.
- Only the host’s primary residence can be registered, and only one property per host.
- Standard registration is capped at 120 nights per calendar year.
- Extended Home-Sharing requires a separate application and administrative clearance.
Registration types
The city issues one standard home-sharing registration and a separate extended registration for hosts who need more than the annual night limit. Both require the unit to remain the host’s primary residence.
Standard Home-Sharing Registration
For the host’s primary residence, where the host lives more than six months of the calendar year. The fee is $441 for a new application or renewal, and the certificate is valid for one year.
Extended Home-Sharing
A separate application that lifts the 120-night cap. Administrative clearance costs $883; cases that need discretionary review pay $12,798.
One property only
A host may register only one property, and the registration number — or the pending registration number — must appear on every listing.
License fees
| Label | Fee |
|---|---|
| New license | $441 |
| Renewal | $441 |
Registration and operating rules
- Home-sharing is limited to the host’s primary residence, where the host lives more than 6 months of the calendar year; only one property may be registered.
- Hosts may operate no more than 120 days per calendar year unless the City issues an Extended Home-Sharing registration.
- The City-issued registration number, or pending registration number, must be displayed on every listing.
- Home-sharing covers stays of 30 consecutive days or less; the registration certificate is valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
- Extended Home-Sharing requires a separate application and administrative clearance, with a discretionary review track for more complex cases.
Enforcement: advertising, platforms, and revocation
The city enforces registration through listing advertisements and hosting platforms. Advertising a home-share without a registration number carries a daily penalty, and a platform that completes a booking on an unregistered listing faces its own daily penalty.
Registration can also be revoked. A host whose registration is revoked is barred from home-sharing for one year.
- Advertising a non-compliant listing: $500 per day or two times the nightly rate charged, whichever is greater.
- A platform that completes a booking on an unregistered listing: $1,000 per day.
- Revocation bars the host from home-sharing for one year.
| Item | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Advertising | $500 per day or two times the nightly rate charged, whichever is greater. |
| Platform bookings | $1,000 per day for completing a booking on an unregistered listing. |
| Revocation | Registration may be revoked; the host is barred from home-sharing for one year. |
Transient occupancy tax: 14% on stays of 30 days or less
Combined hotel occupancy tax ~14%
The City of Los Angeles imposes a transient occupancy tax of about 14% on stays of 30 consecutive days or less.
A host may assign collection and remittance to a hosting platform, but the host remains liable if the tax is not remitted.
Returns and payment go to the Office of Finance monthly and are due on the 25th of each month.
Stays of 30 consecutive days or more are not subject to the tax.
- Collection
- Collected from guests on stays of 30 days or less; a host may assign collection and remittance to a platform but remains liable for non-payment.
- Filing
- Monthly return and payment to the Office of Finance, due on the 25th of each month.
Ranges vary — verify. Stays of 30 consecutive days or more are not subject to the transient occupancy tax.
Permit notes
- Other fees
- Extended Home-Sharing administrative clearance costs $883; Extended Home-Sharing discretionary review costs $12,798.
Compare Los Angeles with other STR markets
Some cities license investor-owned short-term rentals under caps, while others restrict the use to the host’s primary residence. Los Angeles is in the primary-residence group, and it adds a separate annual night limit plus an extended-registration track for hosts who need more nights.
Phoenix
Arizona
Allowed citywide with permit (state law bars city bans — host-friendly)
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Phoenix rules →Scottsdale
Arizona
Licensed; Arizona law preempts local bans and occupancy caps
Moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Scottsdale rules →Sedona
Arizona
Permit required; Arizona law sets the regulatory floor
Moderate enforcement
New license $210
Last verified
View Sedona rules →Palm Springs
California
Allowed in single-family homes with an annual certificate; new certificates capped at 20% per organized neighborhood
High enforcement
New license — Vacation Rental $1,046
Last verified
View Palm Springs rules →San Diego
California
Licensed by tier; whole-home licenses are capped by ordinance
High enforcement
New license — Tier 1 — Part-Time $193
Last verified
View San Diego rules →San Francisco
California
Allowed only in the host’s permanent residence with registration; un-hosted stays capped at 90 nights per year
High enforcement
New license $925
Last verified
View San Francisco rules →Santa Monica
California
Home-sharing only in the host’s primary residence; un-hosted vacation rentals are unlawful
High enforcement
New license $582.25
Last verified
View Santa Monica rules →Denver
Colorado
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Denver rules →Washington
District of Columbia
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $99
Last verified
View Washington rules →Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Licensed and inspected; annual Certificate of Compliance required
High enforcement
New license — Certificate of Compliance $880
Last verified
View Fort Lauderdale rules →Miami
Florida
Licensed and enforced; city and county requirements run in parallel
High enforcement
Last verified
View Miami rules →Orlando
Florida
Owner-occupied home sharing; whole-home rentals are limited by zoning
Moderate enforcement
New license — Home Sharing Registration $275
Last verified
View Orlando rules →Tampa
Florida
State-licensed; city rental registration repealed in 2023
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $230
Last verified
View Tampa rules →Atlanta
Georgia
Licensed, primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Atlanta rules →Savannah
Georgia
Certified STVR, overlay district only, per-ward cap
High enforcement
New license $400
Last verified
View Savannah rules →Chicago
Illinois
Registered shared housing unit (31 days or fewer)
High enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Chicago rules →New Orleans
Louisiana
Licensed, capped, and lottery-based
High enforcement
New license — NSTR owner permit $500
Last verified
View New Orleans rules →Boston
Massachusetts
Registered, owner-occupied primary residence only
High enforcement
New license — Limited Share $25
Last verified
View Boston rules →Las Vegas
Nevada
Licensed; owner-occupied homes only (city limits)
High enforcement
New license $500
Last verified
View Las Vegas rules →New York
New York
Legal only in a registered primary residence (hosted stays)
High enforcement
New license $145
Last verified
View New York rules →Portland
Oregon
Permitted as an accessory use (primary residence required)
Moderate enforcement
Last verified
View Portland rules →Charleston
South Carolina
Licensed, primary residence only (commercial STRs only in the overlay district)
High enforcement
New license $345
Last verified
View Charleston rules →Nashville
Tennessee
Allowed with permit; heavy zoning restrictions on investor units
High enforcement
New license $313
Last verified
View Nashville rules →Austin
Texas
Licensed & enforced
High enforcement
New license $736.60
Last verified
View Austin rules →Seattle
Washington
Licensed; up to two units per operator
High enforcement
New license $75
Last verified
View Seattle rules →Frequently asked questions
Can I rent my Los Angeles home on Airbnb year-round?
Only if it is your primary residence. Home-sharing is capped at 120 days per calendar year unless the City approves an Extended Home-Sharing registration.
How much does the Los Angeles home-sharing registration cost?
$441 for a new application or a renewal. Extended Home-Sharing adds an $883 administrative clearance fee, and discretionary review is $12,798.
What tax applies to Los Angeles short-term rentals?
A 14% transient occupancy tax on stays of 30 days or less, reported monthly to the Office of Finance with payment due on the 25th.
Official sources and cross-checks
Sources with links
- City of Los Angeles — Home-Sharing registration fees (Ordinance No. 188796) cityclerk.lacity.org
- City of Los Angeles — Business tax key dates and deadlines business.lacity.gov
- City of Los Angeles — Home-Sharing registration portal announcement lacity.gov
- RentPermitted — Los Angeles STR guide (cross-check) rentpermitted.com