West Hollywood Airbnb Rules & Investment Guide

Potentially, but only a narrow hosted home-sharing model is eligible. Unhosted vacation rentals are prohibited.

• West Hollywood prohibits vacation rentals to transients. The exception is licensed home sharing that satisfies Municipal Code Chapter 5.66.
• The City licensing page limits eligibility to owners who own and reside in the unit throughout every paid guest stay. Rental units are not eligible.
• A primary residence is a unit occupied by the host for at least 270 days per year. The licensee must be present for at least four hours in every 24-hour period during the guest stay.

Ownership, primary residence, host presence, and property approvals determine eligibility.

• Confirm the property lies inside the City of West Hollywood. Nearby Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and other Los Angeles County jurisdictions apply different local rules.
• The City requires the applicant to own and reside in the unit during every guest stay. A host may have only one primary residence, occupied for at least 270 days each year.
• Home sharing is prohibited in rental units, inclusionary or other income-restricted units, nonresidential locations, and properties subject to the Ellis Act within the prior seven years.

An eligible owner needs a Home Sharing Business License and Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate.

• Apply through the City Permit and License Portal with proof of identity, ownership, primary residency, resident contact information, tax ID information, and every advertising URL.
• Obtain the Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate before the home-sharing license application is complete. The certificate registers tax collection and is not permission to conduct an otherwise unlawful rental.
• The current City fee schedule lists $150 for a new Home Sharing Business License and $100 for renewal. Confirm the amount shown in the portal before filing.

The licensed host must remain present and respond promptly throughout each guest stay.

• The licensee must reside in the dwelling for the entire guest stay, meaning presence for at least four hours in every 24-hour period.
• The licensee must respond by telephone within one hour when contacted by law enforcement, the fire department, or another City official and appear on site within a reasonable period.
• Post the property address, licensee name and phone number, emergency and nonemergency Sheriff, Fire, and Code Compliance numbers, and applicable emergency exit routes inside exterior doors.

Bedroom records determine capacity, and the code requires specific life-safety equipment.

• Maximum occupancy is two people more than twice the number of bedrooms shown in City or County records. A two-bedroom unit therefore has a maximum occupancy of six.
• Install working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as required by the West Hollywood Building Code and keep an operable fire extinguisher accessible in the kitchen.
• For units in multifamily buildings taller than one story, display emergency exit routes prominently inside every exterior door.

Hosts collect 12.5% City transient occupancy tax and maintain supporting records.

• West Hollywood imposes transient occupancy tax equal to 12.5% of rent. The operator must state the tax separately, collect it when rent is paid, and provide a receipt.
• The City home-sharing page requires monthly returns and payment through the Registration and Tax Payment Portal, due by the last day of the month following the reporting period.
• Preserve records needed to establish tax liability for three years. Chapter 5.66 allows guest personal identification and contact details to be redacted unless the City begins an audit.

Hosts are responsible for guest code violations, and repeated violations can end licensing.

• The licensee is responsible for administrative citations arising from Municipal Code violations committed by home-sharing guests.
• Two or more home-sharing, noise, or nuisance violations within any 365-day period may result in immediate license revocation or denial of renewal.
• Fraudulent application information causes immediate revocation and a six-month bar on applying for a similar license. Home sharing must stop while an appeal is pending.

Model verified property facts instead of unsupported citywide performance averages.

• Verify City limits, title, owner occupancy, 270-day primary-residence use, owner and association approvals, Ellis Act history, income restrictions, bedroom records, safety status, license and tax registration, and private rules.
• Budget application and renewal fees, 12.5% transient occupancy tax, insurance, utilities, cleaning, maintenance, reserves, compliance work, and the dates when the host must remain present.
• Use property-specific comparable hosted stays with a stated measurement period. Stress-test lower nightly rates and booking volume, owner-use constraints, guest issues, license loss, and a lawful long-term-rental fallback.

Route licensing, zoning, building, fire, taxes, complaints, appeals, and property planning to the responsible office.

• Eligibility, licenses, renewals, complaints, enforcement, and appeals: Neighborhood and Business Safety at code@weho.org or 323-848-6437. Apply through the Permit and License Portal, and report code or noise complaints at 323-848-6516.
• Boundaries, zoning, building, fire, and taxes: Planning at planning@weho.org or 323-848-6475; Building and Safety at building@weho.org or 323-848-6320; LA County Fire Prevention at 310-358-2380; and Revenue Management at 323-848-6451.
• Property selection and setup: Plan a West Hollywood property strategy call. The City of West Hollywood remains the authority for legal eligibility and license approval.

Official City, municipal-code, and California tax sources were checked on September 28, 2026.

• West Hollywood Home Sharing License requirements for owner eligibility, application documents, current fees, tax filing, and the registration portal.
• West Hollywood Municipal Code Chapter 5.66 for home-sharing eligibility and operations, plus Section 19.36.331 for the vacation-rental prohibition and home-sharing exception.
• West Hollywood transient occupancy tax guidance supports the 12.5% rate and filing schedule, while the City Directory of Services supplies current licensing, planning, building, fire, complaint, and Revenue Management contacts.