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Los Angeles Home-Sharing Permit Application: A Step by Step Guide
How to Get Your LA Short-Term Rental Permit Approved the First Time
This Los Angeles Home-Sharing permit application guide is for City of Los Angeles homeowners who want to rent their primary residence on Airbnb legally. It covers eligibility, the documents the City accepts, the errors that cause denials, and what happens after you submit.
The City declines applications for small document errors. “Brad” on one document and “Bradley” on another is enough to fail. This guide exists so that does not happen to you.
As of September 2026, Open Air Homes manages more than 100 homes, including 70 across Los Angeles, and we screen every permit application before it goes to the City.
AirDNA 2026: #25 of the top 100 US property managers, and the only Los Angeles company on the list. See how the ranking works.
What Changed in the 2026 Home-Sharing Rules
New Portal, New Documents, Stricter Checks
The City’s Second Edition guidelines were issued July 14, 2026 and revised effective September 28, 2026. If you applied before, or read an earlier version of this guide, these are the changes that matter.
New portal
Applications, renewals, corrections, and listing updates now go through HARP. Existing hosts connect their registration by creating a HARP account with the same email used on that registration.
California ID only
Your photo ID must be a California driver license or California ID card that shows the home-sharing address.
Two documents for everyone
Every applicant now needs two proofs of primary residence. The old one-document rule is gone.
New document list
Pay stubs, insurance billing statements, leases, and the online voter status printout are no longer accepted. LADWP electricity bills, IRS transcripts, government benefit notices, and jury summonses were added.
Mailing addresses must match
Each document must show the home-sharing address in the specific places the City lists, including the mailing address.
Citations from any City agency
An open or pending citation from any City enforcement agency blocks an application, not only building citations.
Your contact info, your signature
The applicant’s own email and phone number are required, and only the applicant can sign.
Listing links within 24 hours
Each listing URL must be added in HARP within 24 hours of the listing going live.
Strict Extended renewal window
Extended registrations can only be renewed in the 60 days before expiration. Miss it and you renew as Regular, with the 120 night cap.
Step 1: Confirm Your Home Qualifies Before You Gather Anything
Seven Eligibility Checks. If One Fails, No Paperwork Will Pass.
The Home Sharing Ordinance only allows short-term rentals in a host’s primary residence. Before you collect a single document, confirm all seven of these are true.
- Primary residence. The home is your sole residence, where you live more than six months of the calendar year, and it has a Certificate of Occupancy for residential use.
- Zoned for residential use. Home-Sharing is only allowed where residential use is permitted by right, so generally not in M (Manufacturing), OS (Open Space), or PF (Public Facility) zones. Check the Planning and Zoning tab on ZIMAS.
- Not rent stabilized or income restricted. The unit is not covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, an affordable housing covenant, or income restrictions. The building also was not converted from RSO apartments to single-family use in the past five years. Check the Housing tab on ZIMAS.
- No open citations from any City agency. You, the unit, and the property have no open or pending citation from Building and Safety, Housing, Police, Fire, Street Services, or any other City agency. Search your address on the Home-Sharing Records Portal.
- One registration per person and per home. You can hold only one registration in the City of Los Angeles, and each residence can have only one.
- ADUs need a Certificate of Occupancy. If the ADU’s building permit application was submitted on or after January 1, 2017, it qualifies only if the ADU itself is your primary residence. Garages, sheds, and other non-residential spaces do not qualify unless they have been legally converted and approved for residential use.
- Owner authorization if you are not the owner of record. The City treats the owner in LA County Assessor records as the Property Owner. Tenants, and owners whose home is held in a trust, an LLC, or another name, may need the City’s own Property Owner Authorization to Conduct Home-Sharing form. A custom affidavit will not work.
If any of these fail, skip to the monthly rental path below. Do not file. A denied application costs you weeks and does not change the answer.
Step 2: Choose Regular or Extended Home-Sharing
Everyone Starts With Regular. Extended Comes Later.
Regular Home-Sharing costs $441 and allows up to 120 short-term rental nights per calendar year. Every night booked counts toward the 120. This is the permit every new host applies for first.
Extended Home-Sharing costs $883 and removes the 120 night cap. You qualify after six months of registration, or after 60 hosted nights documented on the City’s Home-Sharing Records Worksheet. You also need no suspension or revocation in the past two years and no more than one citation in the past three. The City mails a notice to your neighbors at your expense before approval. Two or more citations trigger a separate discretionary review with a much higher fee.
Both permits renew annually. Regular renewals open 60 days before expiration. Extended renewals are only accepted during those 60 days, and missing the window means renewing as Regular. Fees are set by the City and can change each fiscal year. Read the full regulations here.
Step 3: Gather the Exact Documents the City Accepts
One California Photo ID, Plus Two Proofs of Residency
Photo identification. A valid California driver license or California ID card showing your full name and the home-sharing address. Out-of-state licenses and passports are not on the City’s list. If your license shows an old address, update it with the DMV and request a new card before you apply.
Proof of primary residency. Every applicant now needs two documents from the accepted list below. Each must show your full name and the home-sharing address in the places the City specifies. Use two different document types. The one exception: notices from two different government benefit programs can count as both.
Accepted Proof of Residency Documents (No Substitutions)
Every applicant needs two. Every document must come from this list.
Property tax bill
Current LA County bill showing the homeowners’ exemption. The home-sharing address must be both the property address and the mailing address.
LADWP electricity bill
Issued in the last six months. The home-sharing address must be the property, service, and mailing address. The bill must show the mailing date, coverage period, and due date.
Vehicle registration
Current California registration for a personal vehicle, with the home-sharing address as the mailing address.
Voter registration
Your voter registration card, or a stamped Voter Registration Abstract from the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, issued in the last six months, with the home-sharing address as both the registered voter address and the mailing address. The online voter status printout is no longer accepted.
IRS transcript
An IRS Account Transcript or return transcript issued in the last six months, with the home-sharing address as the mailing address.
Government benefit notice
Issued in the last six months and showing benefits received, with the home-sharing address as the mailing address. Includes Medicare, Medi-Cal, Social Security, SSI, CalFresh, WIC, Veterans Benefits, CalWORKs, EDD, and the other programs the City lists. One notice per program.
Jury summons
From the LA Superior Court or U.S. District Court, issued in the last six months, with the home-sharing address as the mailing address.
No longer accepted
Pay stubs, insurance billing statements, leases, and the online “My Voter Status” printout.
Step 4: Check for the 7 Errors That Cause Denials
The City Rejects on Details. Fix Them Before You Submit.
Most Los Angeles Home-Sharing permit application denials trace back to one of the seven errors below. Check every document against this list before you upload anything.
Each card shows the problem and the exact fix. Correct it once, and the packet reads clean the first time.
1. Name does not match your license
Your full name must match your California license exactly on every document. “Brad” on one and “Bradley” on another fails.
2. Mailing address mismatch
Every address on the document counts. A tax bill mailed to your accountant, a trust, or a P.O. box fails. So does a utility bill with a separate billing address.
3. Old documents
Most documents must be issued within the last six months. Vehicle registration and the property tax bill must be current.
4. ID does not show the home-sharing address
Update your DMV address online and request a new card, which takes about two weeks. A second document no longer substitutes for a mismatched ID.
5. A document the City no longer accepts
Pay stubs, insurance statements, leases, and the online voter status printout are off the list.
6. Masked IRS transcript
Transcripts downloaded online partially hide your name and address. Have it checked before you rely on it.
7. Blurry or partial uploads
Re-upload clear, well lit, complete images or PDFs. Illegible files are one of the most common causes of delay.
Before you upload
Send us your ID and both documents. We run the same checks on this page before anything goes to the City.
Step 5: Submit Through HARP and Monitor Your Account
Approvals Take About 40 Days. Apply Two Months Ahead.
Submit your Los Angeles Home-Sharing permit application through the City’s Home-Sharing Application and Registration Portal (HARP). Create the account with your own email address. The City sends every notice there, only discusses the application with you, and only you can sign it. If you already have a registration, create the HARP account with that same email and connect it.
List every platform where the home will be advertised. If a listing is not live yet, its URL must be added in HARP within 24 hours of going live.
As of September 2026, approvals are taking about 40 days. If you can, apply about two months before the date you want to start listing.
Check your HARP account a few times a week. If the City asks for more information or corrections (previously called pending-denied), you have 45 days from the request to respond. Miss it and the application is withdrawn with no appeal, so you would reapply and pay the fee again. Read the City’s stated reason before changing anything.
Once approved, your registration number must appear on every listing. Airbnb and VRBO will not publish a City of LA listing without it. Before your first booking you also need a Business Tax Registration Certificate from the Office of Finance. Airbnb pays the City’s per-night fee, currently about $3.30, on Airbnb bookings. Nights booked on other channels are reported and paid monthly in HARP.
If Your Home Does Not Qualify: The Monthly Rental Path
Compliant Statewide. Earning While You Wait, or Instead.
Stays longer than 30 nights are not short-term rentals under the Home Sharing Ordinance, which covers stays of 30 days or less. When a home fails the eligibility gate, we set it up for compliant monthly stays so the owner still earns. Monthly is also our bridge strategy while a Los Angeles Home-Sharing permit application is processing.
Monthly guests are often relocating professionals, film and production crews, and families between homes. Stays are longer, turnover is lower, and wear on the home drops. Learn about monthly furnished rentals in Los Angeles.
If your home is in an HOA: under California law, a rental longer than 30 days is a residential tenancy, not a short-term rental. Many HOA documents still set 60, 90, or 120 day minimums written before current rules, and homeowners are often told they cannot rent monthly when they can. We have helped homeowners work through these rules with their boards. We check your CC&Rs during onboarding and tell you where you stand.
How Open Air Homes Screens Every Application Before Submission
Catch the Denial Before the City Does
Every homeowner we onboard in the City of LA goes through the same screening. You send us your ID and proof of residency. We run them through a fixed set of eligibility and document checks, the same checks on this page. You get back a short report: what is wrong and the exact fix. Nothing goes to the City until it reads clean.
Our team uses AI, including Anthropic’s Claude, to run the document scan so every application gets the same review. A person on our team checks the result and sends the report. If a home does not qualify, we tell you at the first call and show you the monthly path instead. We do not onboard a property that is not compliant.
Permit screening is included in onboarding. Most homes pay a 20% commission on the accommodation fare plus a $125 monthly platform fee. No onboarding fees. No binding contracts. See our transparent pricing.
Which Los Angeles Neighborhoods This Guide Applies To
City of Los Angeles Only. Other Cities Have Their Own Rules.
The Home Sharing Ordinance covers neighborhoods inside the City of Los Angeles, including Venice, Mar Vista, Playa Vista, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Westwood, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Bel Air, Mid-City, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Eagle Rock, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Woodland Hills.
Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Long Beach are separate cities with their own ordinances. Topanga Canyon is unincorporated Los Angeles County and follows the County’s short-term rental rules. This guide does not apply there. See our regulations overview for how each city differs.
Not Sure If Your Home Qualifies?
Let Us Check Your Zoning and Screen Your Documents
Fill out the form or call us at 323-375-3664 to schedule a 15-minute call. Before you start your Los Angeles Home-Sharing permit application, we will check your zoning, confirm eligibility, and tell you exactly which documents you need before you apply.
Los Angeles Home-Sharing Permit Application: FAQ
1 - How much does a Los Angeles Home-Sharing permit cost?
Regular Home-Sharing is $441 per year and allows 120 short-term rental nights. Extended Home-Sharing is $883 per year and removes the cap, plus a neighbor notification mailing fee. The City also charges a per-night fee, currently about $3.30, which Airbnb pays on Airbnb bookings. Fees are set by the City and can change each fiscal year.
2 - How long does approval take?
As of September 2026, approvals are taking about 40 days. If you can, apply about two months before the date you want to start listing. Applications with document errors come back with a request for corrections and restart the clock.
3 - How many proof of residency documents do I need?
Two. Under the City’s September 2026 rules, every applicant needs two proof of residency documents from the accepted list. You also need a California driver license or ID card showing the home-sharing address.
4 - Can I get a permit if I rent my home?
Yes, if it is your primary residence and the owner agrees. The owner must sign the City’s own Property Owner Authorization to Conduct Home-Sharing form, available on the City’s Home-Sharing page. A custom affidavit will not be accepted.
5 - Can I register my ADU or guest house?
An ADU needs a Certificate of Occupancy from LADBS. If its building permit application was submitted on or after January 1, 2017, it qualifies only if the ADU itself is your primary residence. Otherwise, it can still be rented monthly.
6 - What happens if my application is denied?
If your documents fall short, the City may first email a request for more information or corrections. You have 45 days from that request to respond, or the application is withdrawn. Closed, denied, and withdrawn applications cannot be appealed, so you would reapply and pay the fee again. If the issue is eligibility rather than paperwork, monthly rental is the compliant path.
7 - Can I rent short-term while my permit is processing?
No. Short-term listings in the City of LA require a registration number. While you wait, we can list your home for monthly stays longer than 30 nights so it earns from day one.
8 - Does Open Air Homes handle the application for me?
We screen your documents, tell you exactly what to fix, and confirm the packet reads clean before it is submitted. The application is filed in the host’s name, with the host’s own email and phone number, because the permit belongs to the primary resident and only the applicant can sign. We can be listed as the 24/7 emergency contact. Screening is included in onboarding at no extra cost.
9 - What is HARP?
HARP is the City’s Home-Sharing Application and Registration Portal. It is where you apply for a Regular or Extended registration, track your status, submit corrections, update listings, renew, and report per-night fees for bookings outside Airbnb.
10 - When did the Home-Sharing rules change?
The City issued the Second Edition of its Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines on July 14, 2026, with revisions effective September 28, 2026. The biggest changes are the HARP portal, California ID only, two residency documents for every applicant, and a new list of accepted documents.