Rental Rules by City / Free checklist / Los Angeles

Is my Los Angeles rental legal? Checklist

Los Angeles County, California · Based on our Los Angeles page, last verified Oct 24, 2026 · Print

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📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Only in some areas
Do I need a permit?: Only in your own primary residence, with a City Home-Sharing registration.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 14%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Confirm it is your primary residence and not rent-stabilized.
Register with City Planning (120 days a year, or Extended).
Get a TOT certificate.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting a home you do not live in, which is not allowed.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for Los Angeles. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

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Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Los Angeles. Cancel anytime.

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Permit / license / registration

Registration: Register with City Planning before listing; Regular registration allows up to 120 days a year, Extended registration allows more if eligible.
Not eligible: Rent-stabilized (RSO) units, affordable/income-restricted units, and buildings converted from RSO multifamily.
TOT: Get a TOT Registration Certificate. Airbnb remits TOT only for bookings made through Airbnb.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Primary residence only: Home-Sharing is allowed only in the host's primary residence: where you live more than six months of the year (Ordinance 185,931).

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for City of Los Angeles TOT (14%)
What Airbnb collects: Per the City, Airbnb collects and remits the 14% TOT for bookings made through Airbnb only; other channels you file yourself.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 14%. 14% TOT per LA Office of Finance; register within 30 days of starting. Any tourism district assessment not included: verify. Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.