Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Long Beach, CA (2026)

Long Beach, CA allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental License) before listing their property. Long Beach regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Long Beach.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental License. Registration fee: $183. Annual renewal: $183 annually. Register through the Long Beach Development Services — Building and Safety Bureau or Long Beach Development Services — Planning Bureau. Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Long Beach: 1. Host must have primary residence at the rental property 2. Whole-home rentals capped at 180 nights per year (more permissive than LA City's 120-night cap) 3. Hosted rentals (host present) have no night cap 4. Maximum occupancy: 2 guests per bedroom plus 2 additional 5. No events or commercial gatherings at the STR property 6. STR license number must be displayed on all platform listings 7. Annual safety inspection may be required for license renewal 8. Platform must collect and remit Long Beach Transient Occupancy Tax (13%)

• •Host must have primary residence at the rental property
• •Whole-home rentals capped at 180 nights per year (more permissive than LA City's 120-night cap)
• •Hosted rentals (host present) have no night cap
• •Maximum occupancy: 2 guests per bedroom plus 2 additional
• •No events or commercial gatherings at the STR property
• •STR license number must be displayed on all platform listings
• •Annual safety inspection may be required for license renewal
• •Platform must collect and remit Long Beach Transient Occupancy Tax (13%)

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Long Beach: Airbnb: Airbnb collects Long Beach 13% Transient Occupancy Tax and remits to city VRBO: VRBO collects applicable Long Beach TOT on qualifying rentals Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Long Beach: $1,000 per day for operating STR without valid license; $500 per violation for occupancy or noise violations; License suspension or revocation for multiple violations; Coastal Zone STRs face additional Coastal Commission enforcement if in violation. Long Beach has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$1,000 per day for operating STR without valid license
• ⚠$500 per violation for occupancy or noise violations
• ⚠License suspension or revocation for multiple violations
• ⚠Coastal Zone STRs face additional Coastal Commission enforcement if in violation

Frequently Asked Questions