Rental Rules by City / California / Los Angeles

Los Angeles short-term rental rules & tax calculator

Los Angeles County, California · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

📋 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.

Tax calculator

Nightly rate ($) Nights Cleaning fee ($)

Rates used: City of Los Angeles TOT 14% = 14%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 14% TOT per LA Office of Finance; register within 30 days of starting. Any tourism district assessment not included: verify.

What Airbnb collects: Per the City, Airbnb collects and remits the 14% TOT for bookings made through Airbnb only; other channels you file yourself.

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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Why use this instead of a web search?

Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

Rules

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).
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.

Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

Sources

Free tools

Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

Rules can change

Los Angeles's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

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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.