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California · Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County

county Restricted Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals in the UNINCORPORATED areas of Los Angeles County are governed by the County's Short-Term Rentals Registration Ordinance (Board file 24-0970), which adds Division 3 to Title 7 (Business Licenses) of the Los Angeles County Code and is codified as Chapter 7.96. Per Sec. 7.96.150.A the ordinance "will take effect one-hundred eighty (180) days from the date of final passage by the Board of Supervisors"; County and industry sources report it took effect on October 7, 2024 for unincorporated areas (this specific calendar date is NOT stated in the ordinance text itself). It applies ONLY to unincorporated areas — the 88 incorporated cities in the county (including the City of Los Angeles) have their own separate STR rules. STRs are permitted only at a Host's Primary Residence, where the Host must reside at least 275 days per calendar year (Sec. 7.96.030.P), and a Host may operate only one STR at a time in the unincorporated County (Sec. 7.96.070.B). Whole-home "Vacation Rentals" (non-primary-residence dwellings), Accessory Dwelling Units (and other habitable accessory structures such as guesthouses/pool houses), and Rent Restricted (affordable) Primary Residences are flatly prohibited from STR use (Sec. 7.96.050). Before renting, a Person must submit an Application and obtain a Short-Term Rentals Registration Certificate from the Treasurer and Tax Collector (TTC) and pay a $914 annual fee (Sec. 7.96.040.A and .C); certificates are valid one year and renew annually (Sec. 7.96.040.B). Un-Hosted Stays are capped at 90 nights per calendar year with a 2-consecutive-night minimum (Sec. 7.96.060.J and .I); Hosted Stays have no annual night cap and a 1-night minimum (Sec. 7.96.060.H); all stays must be 30 consecutive days or less (Sec. 7.96.060.G). Guest occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus two, maximum 12 guests per booking/reservation, with code-egress-compliant lofts counting as bedrooms (Sec. 7.96.060.K). Stays of 30 days or less are subject to the County's 12% Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 4.72 (Sec. 7.96.070.E; rate confirmed at ttc.lacounty.gov/tot). NOTE: the ordinance does NOT take effect in the County Coastal Zones until certified by the California Coastal Commission (Sec. 7.96.150.B), nor in the Santa Monica Mountains North Area until effective in the Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Plan (Sec. 7.96.150.C). A separate Title 22 land-use STR ordinance is reported to permit STRs as an accessory use and cross-reference the Title 7 registration requirement, but its specifics were not independently verified in this review.

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • county Short-Term Rentals Registration Certificate Required
    Fee: $914 / annual · Renewal: annual (certificate valid one year from issuance per Sec. 7.96.040.B; Registrants renew prior to expiration by submitting the Application with the annual fee) · Applies to: Any Host renting their Primary Residence for short-term stays (30 consecutive days or less) in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County · official page ↗
  • county Sworn primary-residence / eligibility affidavit (penalty of perjury) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: each registration/renewal · Applies to: All STR registration applicants; Host must certify the STR unit is their Primary Residence, is not an ADU/Vacation Rental/Rent Restricted unit, provide notarized Property Owner consent, and make other certifications (11 items total) · official page ↗
  • county Transient Occupancy Tax registration / collection (Chapter 4.72) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Hosts renting to transient Guests (stays of 30 days or less) in unincorporated LA County · official page ↗
  • county Local Responsible Contact (24-hour phone reachability) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR hosts; the Host or a designated contact must be reachable by phone at all times during all stays · official page ↗
  • county Registration certificate number in all listings; certificate posted inside unit Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR listings/advertisements (including hosting-platform listings) and the interior of the rental · official page ↗
  • county Life-safety equipment and posted guest notice Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR units; smoke/CO detectors, flashlights, and fire extinguishers, plus a posted guest notice with occupancy, parking, trash, 24-hour contact, emergency contacts, and an evacuation plan · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) — — — —

Operating rules

Primary residence
Yes
Min stay (nights)
1
Max nights / year
90
Max occupancy
Two persons per bedroom, plus two, with a maximum of 12 Guests per booking/reservation. Lofts that meet California Building Code egress requirements count as a bedroom for this calculation (Sec. 7.96.060.K).
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
—

Grandfathering: None identified in the ordinance text; no grandfathering provision for pre-existing non-primary-residence STRs.

Zoning: Applies ONLY to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County (outside incorporated city boundaries). Per Sec. 7.96.150.B it does NOT take effect in the County Coastal Zones until certified by the California Coastal Commission, and per Sec. 7.96.150.C it does NOT take effect in the Santa Monica Mountains North Area until it is effective in the Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Plan. A separate Title 22 (zoning/land-use) STR ordinance is reported to permit STRs as an accessory use and cross-reference the Title 7 registration requirement, but its specifics were not independently verified in this review.

  • min_stay_nights=1 applies to Hosted Stays: 'Short-Term Rentals for Hosted Stays must be for at least one (1) night.' [Sec. 7.96.060.H]. Un-Hosted Stays have a 2-consecutive-night minimum: 'Short-Term Rentals for Un-Hosted Stays must be for at least two (2) consecutive nights.' [Sec. 7.96.060.I].
  • max_nights_per_year=90 applies to Un-Hosted Stays only: 'Short-Term Rentals for Un-Hosted Stays must not exceed the maximum of ninety (90) nights per calendar year.' [Sec. 7.96.060.J]. Hosted Stays (Host resides on-site) have NO annual night cap.
  • All Hosted and Un-Hosted stays must be 30 consecutive days or less: 'Short-Term Rentals for Hosted and Un-Hosted Stays must not exceed the maximum of thirty (30) consecutive Days.' [Sec. 7.96.060.G].
  • Host must reside on the property at least 275 days per calendar year and may have only one Primary Residence [Sec. 7.96.030.P]; a Host may operate only one STR at a time in the unincorporated County [Sec. 7.96.070.B] and may not allow more than one Guest booking per night [Sec. 7.96.070.C].
  • Ineligible/prohibited categories (Sec. 7.96.050): STRs are not permitted without a valid certificate; not permitted in Rent Restricted Primary Residences, Vacation Rentals, Accessory Dwelling Units or other habitable accessory structures (guesthouses, pool houses, rec rooms), non-residential areas/vehicles/sheds/garages/tents, or boats/houseboats.
  • Guests must be at least 21 years old to reserve/pay [Sec. 7.96.060.F]. No parties/commercial events causing nuisance [Sec. 7.96.060.M]. High-fire-hazard-zone units must post fire notice and prohibit outdoor open flame [Sec. 7.96.060.O].

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Los Angeles County?
Short-term rentals in the UNINCORPORATED areas of Los Angeles County are governed by the County's Short-Term Rentals Registration Ordinance (Board file 24-0970), which adds Division 3 to Title 7 (Business Licenses) of the Los Angeles County Code and is codified as Chapter 7.96. Per Sec. 7.96.150.A the ordinance "will take effect one-hundred eighty (180) days from the date of final passage by the Board of Supervisors"; County and industry sources report it took effect on October 7, 2024 for unincorporated areas (this specific calendar date is NOT stated in the ordinance text itself). It applies ONLY to unincorporated areas — the 88 incorporated cities in the county (including the City of Los Angeles) have their own separate STR rules. STRs are permitted only at a Host's Primary Residence, where the Host must reside at least 275 days per calendar year (Sec. 7.96.030.P), and a Host may operate only one STR at a time in the unincorporated County (Sec. 7.96.070.B). Whole-home "Vacation Rentals" (non-primary-residence dwellings), Accessory Dwelling Units (and other habitable accessory structures such as guesthouses/pool houses), and Rent Restricted (affordable) Primary Residences are flatly prohibited from STR use (Sec. 7.96.050). Before renting, a Person must submit an Application and obtain a Short-Term Rentals Registration Certificate from the Treasurer and Tax Collector (TTC) and pay a $914 annual fee (Sec. 7.96.040.A and .C); certificates are valid one year and renew annually (Sec. 7.96.040.B). Un-Hosted Stays are capped at 90 nights per calendar year with a 2-consecutive-night minimum (Sec. 7.96.060.J and .I); Hosted Stays have no annual night cap and a 1-night minimum (Sec. 7.96.060.H); all stays must be 30 consecutive days or less (Sec. 7.96.060.G). Guest occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus two, maximum 12 guests per booking/reservation, with code-egress-compliant lofts counting as bedrooms (Sec. 7.96.060.K). Stays of 30 days or less are subject to the County's 12% Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 4.72 (Sec. 7.96.070.E; rate confirmed at ttc.lacounty.gov/tot). NOTE: the ordinance does NOT take effect in the County Coastal Zones until certified by the California Coastal Commission (Sec. 7.96.150.B), nor in the Santa Monica Mountains North Area until effective in the Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Plan (Sec. 7.96.150.C). A separate Title 22 land-use STR ordinance is reported to permit STRs as an accessory use and cross-reference the Title 7 registration requirement, but its specifics were not independently verified in this review.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Los Angeles County?
Yes — Los Angeles County requires: Short-Term Rentals Registration Certificate; Sworn primary-residence / eligibility affidavit (penalty of perjury); Transient Occupancy Tax registration / collection (Chapter 4.72). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Los Angeles County?
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

In California

Cities in this county Los Angeles · Santa Monica

Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.