LA Short-Term Rental Registration: New 90-Day Rule

The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance on July 9 that requires all short-term rental hosts to register with the city and caps listings at 90 days per year. The measure applies to residential zones and takes effect 90 days after final signatures.

Housing department records show the city processed more than 12,000 active short-term listings in 2025. Council staff tied the timing of the vote to the release of the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which must balance revenue estimates against rising shelter and code-enforcement costs.

Changes for Renters and Homeowners in Specific Neighborhoods

Residents searching for apartments in Venice and Echo Park will face fewer competing short-term listings once registration begins. A renter in Hollywood, for example, could see buildings that previously listed units on platforms for 200-plus days return to 12-month leases. Homeowners who occasionally rent a guest room must now pay a $250 annual fee and keep records showing compliance with the day limit.

Local advocates note that enforcement will start with mailed notices to known hosts, followed by fines that begin at $1,000 per violation. The legislation states that collected fees will be deposited into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund rather than the general fund.

Implementation Timeline and Enforcement Details

City planning staff will open the online registration portal on October 1. Hosts who fail to register by December 31 will be barred from all platforms until they comply. The housing department has assigned eight new inspectors, funded through the same trust fund, to conduct random audits of listed addresses.

Policy analysts say the first compliance reports are scheduled for release in March 2027, covering the initial three-month enforcement window. Residents can check the status of any address through a public database the city will maintain on its website.