Is Airbnb Legal in Huntington Beach? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Permit required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

16%

Fine for hosting without a permit

$1,000

Listings showing a permit number

71%

Latest rule change

Jul 1, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Every host in the city. No one may advertise, rent or operate a short-term rental of 30 nights or fewer without a city-issued permit.^{1,4,5,8,11,12}

Issued by

City of Huntington Beach, Community Development Department

Valid for

The first permit is valid for two years from the date of issuance, and renewals follow each year. A renewal application must reach the city at least 30 days before the permit expires or the permit is void. The permit is personal and cannot be transferred or sold with the home.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Hosting platforms may not complete a booking without a valid city permit, must list the permit number and expiration date, and report permit numbers, host names, addresses and bookings to the city every month.

Fees

Who qualifies

• Property owner who lives in the home and stays on site during each guest's stay; the applicant provides proof of ownership and signs the application
• One permit per host in the whole city, including Sunset Beach; one permit per property, or up to three at ownership properties of four or more units such as condominiums and townhomes
• Not a deed-restricted affordable housing unit, special group residence, single room occupancy or building on the city's prohibited buildings list
• No active or pending code enforcement action against the property
• Homeowners' or condominium association rules (CC&Rs) must allow short-term rentals, with proof submitted
• A legally permitted dwelling unit; an accessory dwelling unit counts only if it was legally established before February 19, 2021
• A local contact person reachable 24 hours a day, a guest parking plan, liability insurance and a signed indemnification agreement
• Sunset Beach only: unhosted permits for owners who applied by March 1, 2022; no new unhosted permits are issued

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm you own the home, will live in it during every stay and that any homeowners' or condominium association rules allow short-term rentals.
2. 2 Apply only through the city's HB ACA online portal, with proof of ownership, a third-party life and safety inspection certificate, proof of liability insurance, a guest parking plan and a signed indemnification agreement.
3. 3 Pass the Code Enforcement inspection the city schedules after a complete application, and mail the neighborhood notice when the city tells you to.
4. 4 After the permit is approved, apply for a standard city business license and open a short-term rental tax account on the city's online tax portal.
5. 5 Put the permit number and expiration date on every listing and post the permit and its conditions inside the home.

Permit rules

City permit required before advertising

No one may advertise, rent or operate a short-term rental of 30 nights or fewer in Huntington Beach without a permit issued by the city under Municipal Code chapter 5.120.^1,4 In force since February 19, 2021

One permit per host

A host or operator can hold only one short-term rental permit in the whole city, Sunset Beach included.^1,5 In force since February 19, 2021

Two-year first permit, personal and non-transferable

A permit is valid for two years from issuance, is personal to the host and cannot be transferred or sold with the property.^1,5 In force since February 19, 2021

Renew at least 30 days early

A renewal application filed less than 30 days before the permit expires voids the permit and the permission to operate.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Permit number on every listing

All advertising, including any platform listing, must clearly show the city-issued permit number.^1,4 In force since February 19, 2021

Platforms cannot book unpermitted homes

Hosting platforms may not complete a booking for a home without a valid city permit, and must list the permit number and expiration date.¹ Applies to: Hosting platforms · In force since February 19, 2021

Advertised price must include mandatory fees

Since July 1, 2024, California's Honest Pricing Law (SB 478) bars a host or platform from advertising a short-term rental price that leaves out mandatory fees; government taxes and fees may be listed separately.¹⁰ In force since July 1, 2024

Owner-occupied homes only

The city permits short-term rentals only in owner-occupied residential dwelling units, in the main city (Zone 1) and in Sunset Beach (Zone 2).¹ In force since February 19, 2021

The owner stays on site during the stay

A hosted stay requires the owner to live in the home as a primary residence and remain on site throughout the guest's stay, except during daytime and work hours.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Unhosted rentals banned outside Sunset Beach

Renting a home while the owner is away is prohibited everywhere in Huntington Beach except Sunset Beach (Zone 2).^1,4 In force since February 19, 2021

No new unhosted permits in Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach owners who already ran unhosted rentals had until March 1, 2022 to obtain a permit; after that date the city issues no new unhosted permits.^1,4 Applies to: Sunset Beach · In force since March 1, 2022

Only the owner can apply

The applicant must provide proof of property ownership and sign the application, so tenants cannot hold a permit.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

One permit per property, three in larger condo projects

The city issues one permit per property; at ownership properties such as condominiums and townhomes with four or more units, up to three permits are allowed.^1,4 In force since February 19, 2021

Association rules must allow it

A home in a homeowners' or condominium association must follow the association's rules, and the host must show proof that the community's covenants do not prohibit short-term rentals.^1,5 In force since February 19, 2021

Accessory dwelling units only if built before 2021

An accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit can be permitted only if it was legally established before the ordinance took effect on February 19, 2021.^1,5 In force since February 19, 2021

Affordable and restricted units excluded

Deed-restricted affordable housing, special group residences, single room occupancy units and buildings on the city's prohibited buildings list cannot be used.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Third-party and city inspections

Applicants submit a third-party life and safety inspection certificate, and Code Enforcement inspects the home before the permit is issued.⁵

Fire extinguishers, smoke and CO detectors

Hosts must keep working fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and give guests emergency exit and contact information.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Liability insurance required

Hosts must maintain liability insurance appropriate to cover the rental and show proof when applying and at each renewal.^1,5 In force since February 19, 2021

Two guests per bedroom plus two

The maximum number of guests at one time is two per bedroom plus two more, children included; a qualifying loft counts as a bedroom.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Ten guests at most, no large events

No rental may exceed 10 guests, and large events such as commercial parties, weddings, fundraisers and conferences are prohibited.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Guests must be 25 or older

The minimum age for short-term rental tenants is 25.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Local contact available around the clock

A local contact person must answer complaints within one hour, 24 hours a day, and take action to resolve them; in a hosted stay the host is the contact.^1,4 In force since February 19, 2021

City noise rules apply

Hosts and guests must follow the city's noise control chapter, and the host must act promptly when guests cause disturbances.¹ In force since February 19, 2021

Stays of 30 nights or fewer are short-term rentals

A rental of 30 or fewer consecutive nights is a short-term rental that needs the permit; the ordinance sets no shorter minimum stay and no annual night cap.^1,4 In force since February 19, 2021

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$265

Taxes on that night (16%)

$42

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$307

What the host still handles

• A city short-term rental permit through the HB ACA portal before listing
• A city business license, applied for after the permit is approved
• A short-term rental tax account on the city's online tax portal to file quarterly hotel tax and tourism assessment returns, including a $0 return for a quarter with no bookings^{1,2,6,7,15,16}

• Violating any provision of the short-term rental chapter: $1,000 for each violation, and each day a violation continues can count as a separate violation. The city gives a 30-day warning before fining a listing that lacks a valid permit number.^1,6
• Three fines within 12 months: the Director may revoke or suspend the permit or add conditions, and a revoked permit cannot be re-registered for 12 months.¹
• Anyone found in violation in a criminal case or a city civil or administrative action must repay the city's investigation and enforcement costs, unpaid hotel tax and rental revenue obtained illegally.¹
• Late hotel tax: a 10% penalty on the tax due, a second 10% penalty if still unpaid after 30 days, 25% more for fraud, and interest of one-half of one percent a month.²

1. July 1, 2026
   Permit fees rise to $658 and $342

   The Master Fee and Charges Schedule effective July 1, 2026 sets the initial two-year permit at $658 and the renewal at $342, up from $639 and $332.^8,12

2. July 16, 2024
   City Council reviews possible program changes

   At a July 2024 study session, city staff described options such as a cap on unhosted rentals, a waitlist for new permits and regular audits. The code chapter published online still lists only the 2021 ordinances that created and amended it.^1,19

3. July 1, 2024
   Tourism assessment rises from 4% to 6%

   The City Council approved raising the Tourism Business Improvement District assessment in June 2024, and the 6% rate took effect July 1, 2024. The 10% hotel tax did not change.^7,17,18

4. March 1, 2022
   Sunset Beach unhosted permit window closes

   Owners in Sunset Beach had until March 1, 2022 to obtain a permit for an unhosted rental; the city issues no new unhosted permits after that date.^1,4

5. February 19, 2021
   Short-term rental ordinance takes effect

   Ordinance 4224 added chapter 5.120 to the municipal code, legalizing permitted hosted rentals; the City Council approved it on December 21, 2020 and gave final approval on January 19, 2021.^1,4

Estimate what a Huntington Beach home could earn

1. 1. Chapter 5.120: Short-Term Rentals, Huntington Beach Municipal Code · City of Huntington Beach (eCode360)
2. 2. Chapter 3.28: Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax, Huntington Beach Municipal Code · City of Huntington Beach (eCode360)
3. 3. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 - Occupancy taxes · California Legislative Information
4. 4. Short-Term Rentals · City of Huntington Beach Community Development
5. 5. Short-Term Rental Frequently Asked Questions (March 9, 2023) · City of Huntington Beach Community Development
6. 6. Hotel and Motel TOT & TBID Information · City of Huntington Beach City Treasurer
7. 7. Tourism Business Improvement District · City of Huntington Beach
8. 8. Master Fee and Charges Schedule, effective July 1, 2026 · City of Huntington Beach Finance
9. 9. Issued Short-Term Rental Permits (updated September 9, 2026) · City of Huntington Beach Community Development
10. 10. SB 478 - Hidden Fees (Honest Pricing Law) · California Attorney General
11. 11. City Treasurer's Office - Business Licensing · City of Huntington Beach
12. 12. Community Development fees, Master Fee and Charges Schedule 2025-26 · City of Huntington Beach Finance
13. 13. Local Coastal Program Update · City of Huntington Beach Community Development
14. 14. Short-Term/Vacation Rentals in the California Coastal Zone (letter to planning directors, December 6, 2016) · California Coastal Commission
15. 15. Huntington Beach, CA · Airbnb Help Center
16. 16. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in California · Airbnb Help Center
17. 17. Frequently Asked Questions · Visit Huntington Beach (Tourism BID owners' association)
18. 18. Huntington Beach tourist district will collect more from room rentals · Orange County Register
19. 19. Huntington Beach continues examining short-term rentals · Los Angeles Times (Daily Pilot)