Can I AirBnB My Place in Los Angeles?

Short Term Vacation Rental in Los Angeles

Guide to Laws about AirBnBs and other Short Term Rentals in Los Angeles

As of Nov 1, 2019, new rules are enforced within the city of Los Angeles regarding short term vacation rentals, which are most often listed on sites like AirBnB, VRBO/HomeAway, and others. This is known as the Los Angeles “Home-Sharing Ordinance.”¹Ordinance No. 185,931; Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 12.22 A.32.

For other cities, and a full discussion about short term rentals in general, see our Guide to Laws about Short Term Vacation Rentals in California.

Also, if you are not sure whether you are in the city of Los Angeles, see our What City Am I in?

So, the big question is…

What are the rules on AirBnBs in Los Angeles?

First, you cannot short-term rent any property that is rent-controlled. At all. Not even a little bit.

UPDATE October 2019: The city council is considering allowing owner-occupied rent-controlled units to be listed on Airbnb.

If the property is NOT rent controlled, the following applies:

1. You can only short-term rent your “primary residence,” where you live at least half the year. So, not a second home or investment or vacation property. Essentially this means you can short term rent extra rooms, or the entire unit if you are on vacation or otherwise away.

2. Also you are generally limited to renting out a total of 120 days per year. BUT you can request to do the full 365 days if you can make a successful case to the planning department that doing so would not hurt the neighborhood, AND pay a $850 fee.

3. Hosts must register with the city, pay the city a fee of $89, and collect and pay “hotel taxes”, keep records for city inspection, and make sure you have working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and information on emergency exits, among other requirements. Hosts cannot register more than one unit at a time.

4. You cannot rent out any temporary structure, including a vehicle/RV, shed, trailer, yurt, or tent.

Can I AirBnB if I am a renter?

Maybe. See our general Guide to Short Term Rental Laws.

Are there any other restrictions hosts should know about?

If you have a homeowners association (HOA), there may be additional rules. See our full Guide to Short Term Rental Laws.

Of course, other general laws also apply, particularly noise restrictions and other laws that homeowners are responsible for.

What is considered a “short term” rental in Los Angeles?

A short term rental is 30 days or fewer. So a rental of 31 days or more does not fall under the city’s “AirBnB” laws (but HOA or other rules may apply). Then it would be considered a long-term rental.