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Is short-term rental allowed in Santa Monica?
Only hosted home-sharing. Santa Monica's code authorizes home-sharing: renting one or more bedrooms, for 30 consecutive days or less, in your primary residence while you live on site throughout the stay. It has no authorization for vacation rentals, meaning a home rented for 30 days or less with no resident living on site, and it prohibits operating or advertising a rental that doesn't comply.
This page covers the City of Santa Monica only. The City of Los Angeles and other nearby cities have their own rules.
The rules at a glance
| Home-sharing | Allowed: bedrooms in the host's primary residence, with the host living on site throughout the stay |
|---|---|
| Vacation rental (no resident on site, 30 days or less) | Not authorized by the code |
| Requirements | A City home-sharing permit and a business license. The host collects and remits TOT. |
| Primary residence | A person can have only one primary residence |
| ADUs | An ADU with a building permit issued on or after March 31, 2017 counts as a separate dwelling unit under this chapter |
Fees
The home-sharing permit application and renewal fees are set by City Council resolution. Check the current amount with the city.
Lodging tax
The city's TOT return sets the home-share tax at 17% of the total amount paid for room rental (hotels are 15%).
What this means for your numbers
Unless you live in the home and host guests in it, the practical choice in Santa Monica is a long-term lease or a stay of more than 30 days. Our Rental Strategy Comparison shows a long-term lease and a short-term rental side by side for your address, with the city's lodging tax and rental rules looked up for each order. In a city with a minimum stay, the short-term column is based on that minimum.
Compare long-term and short-term for your home, $39
Official sources
- Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 6.20, Home-Sharing and Vacation Rentals
- City of Santa Monica Transient Occupancy Tax return (updated January 2, 2026)
Last checked: October 17, 2026. Rules and fees change. Confirm with the City of Santa Monica, and with any HOA or lease, before you list. General information, not legal advice.