Local Airbnb rules2026 19 sources cited

Is Airbnb Legal in Santa Monica? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Source: AirROI Reviewed by , Founder @ AirROI Updated

From 17 official sources and 2 Airbnb help pages, checked October 17, 2026. Not legal advice.

The short answer

Santa Monica Airbnb Rules in Brief

Map of Airbnb listings in Santa Monica Browse the live Santa Monica Airbnb market See Every Santa Monica Listing

Revenue, occupancy and nightly rates are in the Santa Monica Airbnb market report .

At a glance

Santa Monica Airbnb Rules at a Glance

Permit required
Yes
Taxes on a stay
17% + $2
Fine for hosting without a permit
$5,000
Listings showing a permit number
44%
Latest rule change
Jan 28, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to October 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

The rules a Santa Monica host meets first, each linked to the ordinance, statute or official page it comes from. Details and exceptions follow below.

Santa Monica Airbnb Rules at a Glance
TopicRule
PermitHome-share permit and business license both required1,5
Who can hostWhole-home rentals are prohibited1,7
WhereThe rules apply in every residential zone7
Building rulesHOA and lease rules still apply7
Night capNo annual night limit7
Minimum stayStays of 31 nights or more fall under the leasing rules3,7
GuestsOccupancy capped at the lesser of three limits1,7
Listing displayWhat every listing must say1,6
PlatformsPlatforms may not book unregistered homes1,13
SafetyFire extinguisher, smoke and CO detectors required1,6
Insurance$500,000 of liability insurance1,5
NeighborsOne guest vehicle per rented bedroom1

Your home

Can You Host an Airbnb in Santa Monica? It Depends on the Home

Whether you can host in Santa Monica turns on whose home it is and whether you live there.

A room in your own home while you are there

Allowed with conditions

Your own home, rented whole while you're away

Not allowed

A second home or investment property you don't live in

Not allowed

A rented apartment (tenant hosting)

Allowed with conditions

A condo or HOA building

Allowed with conditions

A guest house or accessory dwelling unit

Allowed with conditions

Permit

Do You Need a Permit for Airbnb in Santa Monica?

Yes. Short-term rental hosts in Santa Monica need the Home-share permit and business license from the City of Santa Monica Finance Department, Business License Division. It costs $582.25 in the first year (The city lists a potential total of $582.25 for a new application: $75 minimum license tax, $44.85 processing, $458.40 home-share review and $4 state fee. Hosts who qualify for the minimum-tax exemption pay less.).1,5,6,13,16,18

Who needs it
Issued by
Valid for
On listings
Platform checks

Fees

Fees
FeeAmount
Minimum business license taxPart of the city's potential total for a new home-share application; some businesses are exempt from the minimum license tax.$75
Business license processing feeCharged with the home-share application.$44.85
Home-share review feeCity review of the home-share permit application.$458.40
State CASp feeState-mandated Certified Access Specialist program fee on business licenses.$4

Who qualifies

  • Owner or long-term resident who is a natural person; a tenant counts as a long-term resident after living in the home for the prior 12 months and holding a lease or written commitment to stay 12 more months
  • The home must be the host's primary residence, shown with two documents such as a driver's license, vehicle registration, voter registration, tax return, property tax bill or utility bill
  • The host lives on site, in the home, throughout every guest stay
  • One home-share per host; the permit cannot be transferred
  • Liability insurance of at least $500,000, unless every booking goes through Airbnb or VRBO, which currently provide equal coverage
  • Ownership through a trust, corporation or LLC does not count as proof of ownership; the host then proves long-term resident status instead
  • The ordinance does not require HOA or landlord permission, but it does not override CC&Rs or a lease that does

How to apply

  1. Read Municipal Code Chapter 6.20 and the city's Home-Sharing Ordinance Rules and Regulations.
  2. If you operate under a name other than your own, file a Fictitious Business Name with the Los Angeles County Clerk.
  3. Gather two proofs of residency, proof of ownership or of 12 months' residence plus a lease or written commitment for the next 12 months, and proof of $500,000 liability insurance if you list anywhere other than Airbnb or VRBO.
  4. Submit the online application with the documents and pay the fees; the city routes it to the departments that review it.
  5. When approved, receive the business license certificate and home-share permit, then send the listing URLs to Code Enforcement within 10 days.

Permit rules

Home-share permit and business license both required
Permits expire every June 30
What every listing must say
Platforms may not book unregistered homes
Airbnb asks for the city license number
Advertised price must include mandatory fees

Who can host

Who Can Host an Airbnb in Santa Monica, and Where

California state law applies on top of Santa Monica's own rules: the California short-term rental regulations page covers the state license and what cities and counties can and can't regulate.

Whole-home rentals are prohibited
The host must live on site
Primary residence, proven with two documents
Tenants must be long-term residents
One home-share per host
Rent-controlled units: income capped at the rent
HOA and lease rules still apply
Guest houses and ADUs: where the host must live
Only part of the unit where you live
The rules apply in every residential zone

Operating rules

Operating Rules for Santa Monica Short-Term Rentals

No more than two groups of guests per date
Occupancy capped at the lesser of three limits
One guest vehicle per rented bedroom
Hosts must prevent nuisance and follow the noise code
Fire extinguisher, smoke and CO detectors required
$500,000 of liability insurance
Stays of 31 nights or more fall under the leasing rules
No annual night limit
Hosts must collect and remit the hotel tax

Taxes

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Santa Monica?

17% on the room rental and cleaning fee, plus a $2 per night fee on Airbnb bookings of 30 nights or fewer.

Median nightly rate, booked nights
$255
Taxes on that night (17% + $2)
$45
Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees
$300
How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Santa Monica?
TaxRateCollected by
Santa Monica transient occupancy tax (home-shares) 17% of the total paid for the room rental on stays of 30 nights or fewer; Airbnb applies it to the listing price including any cleaning fee17%2,8,19Airbnb
Airbnb nightly fee under the city settlement $2 per night on Airbnb bookings of 30 nights or fewer, under Airbnb's settlement with the City of Santa Monica$2 a night13,19Airbnb
Total on a stay 17% + $2 · All by Airbnb

At Santa Monica's median booked rate of $255 a night, the taxes collected on a booking come to about $45 a night.

What the host still handles

Fines

How to Avoid Airbnb Fines in Santa Monica

Fines in Santa Monica fall on hosting without the approvals described above, or outside the rules. With them in hand and the rules followed, none of the fines below apply.

Changes

What's Changed in Santa Monica's Airbnb Rules

The changes scheduled when the rules were checked on October 17, 2026 have now taken effect; the most recent are listed first.

  1. November 3, 2026 Not in force
    Measure TT on the November 2026 ballot
  2. January 28, 2026
    City sues landlords over rent-controlled units on Airbnb
  3. April 19, 2025
    Enforcement resumes after the fire suspension
  4. May 23, 2023
    Home-sharing legalization program for some ADUs
  5. March 1, 2023
    Home-share hotel tax rises to 17%
  6. September 8, 2020
    Residential Leasing Requirements adopted
  7. December 10, 2019
    City and Airbnb settle: license numbers and a $2 nightly fee
  8. October 24, 2019
    Listing, group, occupancy and vehicle limits start
  9. March 13, 2019
    Ninth Circuit upholds the ordinance
  10. June 12, 2015
    Home-Sharing Ordinance takes effect

Listing data

What Santa Monica's Listings Show

AirROI, a short-term-rental data firm, counted 791 active Airbnb listings in Santa Monica over the 12 months to October 2026. 44% of them displayed a permit, license or registration number.

Minimum stay set on Santa Monica listings

Share of active listings by the shortest stay they accept

Minimum stay in numbers
Minimum stay set on Santa Monica listings
Shortest stay acceptedShare of listings
1 night24%
2 nights26%
3 nights13%
4–6 nights10%
7–29 nights7%
30+ nights20%

What officials report

32
351
62

Earnings

What Could a Santa Monica Short-Term Rental Earn?

The rules shape the numbers: a permit that costs $582.25 in the first year and taxes of 17% plus $2 a night that Airbnb adds to guests' bills. For a specific address, the Airbnb profit calculator estimates revenue, occupancy and nightly rate from comparable listings, so you can test the numbers before applying.

Estimate what a Santa Monica home could earn

FAQ

Santa Monica Airbnb Rules: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb legal in Santa Monica?

Yes, but only as home-sharing: you may rent bedrooms in your own primary residence for 30 nights or fewer while you live on site, with a city home-share permit and business license. Renting a whole home with no resident present is a prohibited vacation rental.1,7

Do I need a permit for Airbnb in Santa Monica?

Yes. A host must hold both a city home-sharing permit and a business license, applied for together in one application and valid through June 30 each year.1,5

How much is the Santa Monica home-share permit and license?

The city lists a potential total of $582.25 for a new application: a $75 minimum license tax, a $44.85 processing fee, a $458.40 home-share review fee and a $4 state fee. Permits expire June 30 and are renewed each July 1.5

Can I rent out my whole home on Airbnb in Santa Monica when I'm away?

No. Renting a home for 30 nights or fewer without a resident living on site throughout the stay is a vacation rental, which is prohibited citywide, including in condos and apartments.1,7

Can I rent a home I don't live in on Airbnb in Santa Monica?

No. The home must be the host's primary residence and the host must live on site, and each host may run only one home-share. A second home can only be leased for 31 nights or longer under the city's leasing rules.1,3

Does Airbnb collect hotel tax in Santa Monica?

Yes. Airbnb collects and remits the 17% city tax and a $2 per night fee on its Santa Monica bookings of 30 nights or fewer, and hosts stay responsible for tax on bookings made elsewhere.2,19

What is the hotel tax on an Airbnb in Santa Monica?

Home-shares pay 17% of the room rental, effective March 1, 2023; hotels and motels pay 15%. Stays of 31 consecutive nights or more are exempt.2,8

What is the fine for an illegal Airbnb in Santa Monica?

Administrative fines for a noncompliant home-sharing listing are $1,000, $2,000 and $5,000 for a first, second and third offense within 36 months when no price is listed, or 400% to 800% of the advertised daily rate and minimum stay when a price is listed. A violation can also be a misdemeanor with a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.1,9

Is there a limit on nights or guests for Airbnb in Santa Monica?

There is no annual night cap, but a home-share may host no more than two groups on any date and total occupancy is capped at the lesser of 10 people, one per 200 square feet, or two per bedroom.1,7

Do I need to show my license number on my Airbnb listing in Santa Monica?

Yes. Every ad must show the city business license number, that the host lives on site, the permitted occupancy and vehicles, and the two-groups limit, and Airbnb has a field for the license number.1,18

Can I rent my Santa Monica home for a month or longer?

Stays of 31 nights or more are not short-term rentals, but Chapter 6.22 generally requires a written lease of at least one year, an unfurnished unit and a tenant who will use it as a primary residence. An owner living in the home gets a limited exception for under-a-year leases.3

Can a tenant or condo owner host on Airbnb in Santa Monica?

Yes, if the home is their primary residence: a tenant must have lived there for the prior 12 months and hold a lease or written commitment for the next 12. The city does not require HOA or landlord permission but does not override CC&Rs or leases that do.1,7

How many Santa Monica Airbnbs are registered?

Active home-sharing registrations: 32 as of October 17, 202610. In AirROI's listing data, 44% of the 791 Santa Monica Airbnb listings active in the 12 months to October 2026 displayed a permit, license or registration number. A number on a listing shows the host entered one; it doesn't confirm the permit is valid.

How much does an Airbnb make in Santa Monica?

The average Santa Monica listing earned $46,900 in the 12 months to October 2026, according to AirROI, averaged across every active listing including those booked for only part of the year. The Santa Monica Airbnb market report breaks it down by month, property size and neighborhood.

Method

How These Rules Were Checked

Each rule on this page was checked in October 2026 against the official source cited beside it: the ordinance or statute, the permit office's own pages and the tax authority. Airbnb's help pages are cited on their own only for what Airbnb itself does, such as the taxes it collects and the permit checks it runs, and otherwise only beside an official source; news reports only for when a change was announced. Rules that could not be confirmed on an official page are left out. The Santa Monica pages for Measure TT, the January 2026 lawsuit and the new business license fee table were read in a browser because the site blocked script access; the administrative fine schedule was read from an Internet Archive copy dated January 19, 2026.

Rules change with council votes, court rulings and new state laws, so the page is rechecked every three months and whenever a scheduled change takes effect. It summarizes the rules for information and is not legal advice; the local authority has the final word on any application.

Listing figures come from AirROI's tracking of 791 active Santa Monica Airbnb listings over the 12 months to October 2026.

Sources

Sources

Each rule above links to the source it comes from. Official ordinances, statutes and government pages come first, then Airbnb's own help pages.

  1. 1. Chapter 6.20 Home-Sharing and Vacation Rentals (Santa Monica Municipal Code) · City of Santa Monica via eCode360
  2. 2. Chapter 6.68 Tax on Transients for Occupancy (Santa Monica Municipal Code) · City of Santa Monica via eCode360
  3. 3. Chapter 6.22 Residential Leasing Requirements (Santa Monica Municipal Code) · City of Santa Monica via eCode360
  4. 4. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 - Occupancy taxes · California Legislative Information
  5. 5. How to Apply for a Home-Share Business License · City of Santa Monica
  6. 6. Home-Sharing Ordinance Rules and Regulations (revised November 21, 2019) · City of Santa Monica
  7. 7. Overview of the Home-Sharing Ordinance and FAQs · City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development
  8. 8. Transient Occupancy Tax · City of Santa Monica Finance Department
  9. 9. Administrative Citation Fine Schedule (FY 2025-26) · City of Santa Monica
  10. 10. Home-Sharing Registry · City of Santa Monica Open Data
  11. 11. Measure TT, General Election 2026 · City of Santa Monica
  12. 12. City files lawsuit against serial short-term rental violator (January 28, 2026) · City of Santa Monica
  13. 13. Settlement with Airbnb guarantees compliance with Home-Sharing Ordinance (December 10, 2019) · City of Santa Monica
  14. 14. City of Santa Monica prevails against Airbnb and HomeAway at Ninth Circuit (March 13, 2019) · City of Santa Monica
  15. 15. Housing Resources in Response to Fires · City of Santa Monica
  16. 16. New Business License Taxes, Fees, and Assessments · City of Santa Monica
  17. 17. SB 478 - Hidden Fees (Honest Pricing Law) · California Attorney General
  18. 18. Santa Monica, CA · Airbnb Help Center
  19. 19. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in California · Airbnb Help Center