Last reviewed: 27 July 2026. This is a complete rewrite. Note that this guide covers the City of Los Angeles, not the wider county, and not the separate cities inside it.
The short version
- Only your primary residence. LA defines that as the home where you are present at least six months of the year. A second unit is not your primary residence even if you own it.
- 120 days per calendar year is the standard cap.
- Extended Home-Sharing allows more than 120 days, with extra requirements and a much higher fee.
- LA does not distinguish hosted from unhosted stays. You may rent your entire home while out of town. This is unusual and more permissive than San Francisco or Sydney.
- You must register and put the registration number, or pending registration number, on every advertisement.
- Rent-Stabilized Ordinance units are ineligible. So are most ADUs built on or after 1 January 2017.
- Renters need a notarised affidavit from the landlord.
- Keep records for three years.
- Platforms report to the City monthly.
- This is only the City of LA. West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Pasadena, Long Beach and unincorporated county areas all run their own rules.
The Home-Sharing Ordinance
The governing rule is the Home-Sharing Ordinance, Ordinance No. 185931, codified at Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 12.22 A.32. The City began accepting applications on 1 July 2019 and enforcement began on 1 November 2019.
The structure is important. Short-term rentals are prohibited across the vast majority of the City except through a Conditional Use Permit. Home-sharing exists as a defined accessory use to a residential use, available on limited terms. It is a carve-out, not a general permission.
The ordinance was also tightened during passage: City Planning had recommended a 180-day limit, and City Council replaced it with 120 days plus a more demanding approval process for anyone wanting to exceed it.
Sources: Los Angeles City Planning, What is the Home-Sharing Program? and the Home-Sharing Ordinance background and FAQs (PDF)
At a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Whose home? | Your primary residence only |
| Primary residence means | Present at least six months of the year |
| Standard cap | 120 days per calendar year |
| Beyond 120 days | Extended Home-Sharing registration required |
| Hosted vs unhosted | The City does not differentiate |
| Registration number in ads? | Yes, on all of them |
| Are RSO units eligible? | No |
| Are ADUs eligible? | Generally not if built on or after 1 Jan 2017 |
| Renting as a tenant? | Yes, with a notarised landlord affidavit |
| Record retention | Three years |
The primary residence requirement
You may only home-share the residence in which you actually live, and LA's test is presence for at least six months of the year. Proof of primary residence is assessed at registration and can be reviewed afterwards.
The City is explicit about the trap: if you own two units, the second unit is not your primary residence even though you own it. One primary residence, one registration.
Tenants can participate, but you will need a notarised affidavit signed by the property owner or landlord authorising your participation. Gather that before you start the application.
What 120 days actually covers
No person may engage in home-sharing for more than 120 days each calendar year in their primary residence unless the City has issued an Extended Home-Sharing registration.
Two points that distinguish LA from other cities in this series:
LA does not separate hosted from unhosted stays. The City confirms that a host may rent out their entire home while they are out of town. There is no requirement to be present, and no separate cap for whole-home lettings. Within your 120 days, how you use them is up to you.
The cap is on days, not bookings. Track cumulatively across every platform and any direct bookings.
Extended Home-Sharing
To go beyond 120 days you need an Extended Home-Sharing registration, and the bar is meaningfully higher.
Requirements include having maintained a valid home-sharing registration for at least six months (or having hosted for a comparable period before the ordinance took effect), alongside the standard eligibility criteria.
Fees escalate sharply. A standard home-sharing registration or renewal is $89. Extended Home-Sharing carries an additional $850 review fee. Where the application requires further discretionary review, the fee is $5,660.
Citations disqualify you. Where a host has been issued more than one citation within the prior three years, the application goes to discretionary review with the Department of City Planning. Nuisance violations disqualify hosts from extended home-sharing.
Fees are set by ordinance and revised. Confirm current amounts with City Planning before budgeting.
Source: Los Angeles City Planning, Home-Sharing Ordinance FAQ (PDF)
Properties that cannot be registered
This is where a lot of LA plans fail, so check before you commit.
Rent-Stabilized Ordinance (RSO) units are ineligible. LA has a very large RSO stock, and many owners do not realise their building is covered. Check the property's RSO status directly.
ADUs built on or after 1 January 2017 may only be used for home-sharing if the ADU is the host's primary residence. Building a garage conversion to let out short-term does not work.
Units converted from rental housing carry restrictions, with the ordinance referencing a period of five years after conversion during which home-sharing is not available.
Beyond the ordinance, HOA rules, condominium documents and leases can prohibit the activity regardless of your registration.
Advertising, records and platform reporting
Every advertisement must display the City-issued Home-Sharing Registration Number, or the Pending Registration Status Number. Advertising without one is a listed prohibition that may result in citation.
You must keep and preserve records for three years, including the number and length of each home-sharing stay and the price paid for each. These are the records the City uses to determine your tax liability, so they need to be accurate rather than approximate.
Platforms report on you monthly. Hosting platforms must provide the Department of City Planning, at least monthly, with an electronic log including the home-sharing registration number of each listing and the name of the person listing it. Your figures and the platform's figures will be compared.
Renewal is annual, and City Planning recommends applying at least 30 days before expiry. Renewals must disclose any changes since the previous application and include home-sharing records.
Appeals are heard by the Area Planning Commission.
Tax
The home-sharing registration system is designed to facilitate registration for Transient Occupancy Tax, which is administered by the Office of Finance. LA's TOT rate has been widely reported at 14%, but confirm the current rate and your filing obligations directly with the Office of Finance.
Where a platform holds a TOT collection agreement with the Office of Finance it may collect on your behalf, and platforms can enter into a Platform Agreement with the City. Confirm in writing which taxes your platform remits and which remain yours, and remember that your three-year record retention obligation exists precisely so the City can check.
This is the City of Los Angeles only
Worth stating plainly, because "Los Angeles" is used loosely and the consequences are real.
The Home-Sharing Ordinance applies within the City of Los Angeles. It does not apply in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank, Pasadena or Long Beach, each of which is a separate city with its own rules, nor in unincorporated Los Angeles County, which is governed by the County.
A portfolio that looks geographically tidy can span four regulatory regimes. Check the jurisdiction for each specific address.
A practical checklist
- Confirm the property is your primary residence and that you are present at least six months a year
- Check whether the unit is RSO-covered. If it is, stop
- If it is an ADU, check the construction date and whether it is your primary residence
- If you rent, obtain a notarised affidavit from your landlord
- Check HOA, condominium or lease restrictions
- Confirm the property is in the City of LA and not a separate city or unincorporated county
- Register with City Planning and display the number on every advertisement
- Register for Transient Occupancy Tax with the Office of Finance
- Track days cumulatively across all platforms against the 120-day cap
- If you need more, budget realistically for Extended Home-Sharing and check your citation history
- Set up three-year record retention covering stay lengths and prices
- Diarise renewal at least 30 days before expiry
Verified official sources
- LA City Planning, What is the Home-Sharing Program?
- Home-Sharing Ordinance background and FAQs (PDF)
- Home-Sharing Ordinance adopted FAQ (PDF)
- Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines (PDF)
- Home-Sharing Ordinance text (PDF)
Named, not linked
- Ordinance No. 185931, the Home-Sharing Ordinance
- Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 12.22 A.32
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, for Transient Occupancy Tax registration and current rates
- Los Angeles Housing Department, for RSO status
- The separate ordinances of West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank, Pasadena and Long Beach
- Los Angeles County, for unincorporated areas
- Your HOA documents or lease
Important disclaimer
This article is not legal, tax or financial advice. It is general information written for a non-specialist reader, by a key management company rather than a law firm.
This guide covers the City of Los Angeles only. Adjacent cities and unincorporated county areas have their own rules and some prohibit short-term rentals in residential zones entirely. Fees are set by ordinance and change. RSO status and ADU construction dates determine eligibility and are property-specific. Platforms report your activity to the City monthly, so accuracy matters. HOA documents and leases can prohibit the activity regardless of registration.
Verify with LA City Planning and the Office of Finance for your specific address before acting. For a purchase, an RSO question or an Extended Home-Sharing application, engage a California attorney.
If you spot an error, an omission, or something that needs updating, please tell us and we will fix it.
