New Los Angeles Airbnb Rules 2026: What Changed for Registered Hosts
The new Los Angeles Airbnb rules took effect on September 28, 2026, when the City revised its Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines and moved every application, renewal and monthly fee report onto a new portal. If you already hold a registration, or you are partway through an application, the rules you prepared for have changed.
This page covers what changed and what to do at your next renewal. For the complete current requirements, see our guide to Los Angeles Airbnb rules and permit requirements.
Last updated: October 8, 2026
Los Angeles Home-Sharing Changes: Old Rules vs New Rules
Here is what changed for hosts between the 2019 rules and today, including the new portal and the February 2026 fee update. The biggest changes are the ID rule, the residency proofs, the end of listing while pending, and the hard Extended renewal deadline. The City publishes its own 2019-to-2026 comparison chart; the table below is our version, written for hosts.
| Topic | Before (2019 rules) | Now (September 28, 2026) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application system | Legacy online registration portal | HARP, the City's new Home-Sharing portal, for every filing | Follow HARP instructions, not old portal guides or videos |
| Photo ID | Federal or state photo ID, including a passport | California DMV driver license or California ID card only | A passport or out-of-state ID no longer meets the rule |
| ID address | Could differ if you supplied extra proofs | Must match the address you are registering | Update your DMV record before you file |
| Number of residency proofs | One if your ID address matched, two if it did not | Two for everyone | A matching ID no longer reduces the count |
| Lease or rental agreement | Accepted as a proof | Removed from the approved list | Tenants need two proofs from the new list |
| Pay stub, health or vehicle insurance bill | Accepted if recent | Removed | Pay stubs and insurance bills no longer count as proof |
| New proof options | Not listed | LADWP electric bill, IRS transcript, government benefits notice, jury summons | Pull an LADWP bill or IRS transcript dated within the last six months |
| Voter document | California voter card or online status printout | LA County voter card, or stamped abstract issued within six months | The online printout is not the published standard |
| Pending registration number | Could let you list while the City reviewed your file | Not part of the current process | Wait for approval and a valid number before listing |
| Regular renewal | Had to be completed before expiration | Opens 60 days before expiration and stays open after it | A lapsed Regular can still be renewed, but you cannot host while expired |
| Extended renewal | Annual renewal, no hard deadline in the old materials | Only within the 60 days before expiration | Miss the window and you lose Extended at renewal |
| Tenant authorization | Notarized landlord affidavit | New Property Owner Authorization for every application and renewal, filed within 30 days of notarization, wet or hand-drawn signatures | Book the notary within 30 days of the day you plan to file |
| Extended neighbor mailing | You arranged the mailing with the City's contractor and uploaded proof | The City or its vendor mails the notice after your other eligibility is confirmed; you pay the fee before final approval | Skip the old pre-mailing step; wait for the City's fee request |
| Renewal booking records | Platform statements or your own spreadsheet could be used | The City's Records Worksheet for each non-Airbnb listing; Airbnb bookings are covered by its Platform Agreement | Rebuild your booking log on the City worksheet before renewal |
| Per-night fee | Paid through the City's prior payment process | Monthly report and payment in HARP for non-agreement platforms, including zero-night months | Add a monthly filing date if you book anywhere besides Airbnb |
| Filing fees | Older fee schedules (Extended was $1,030 base until February 2026) | Since February 23, 2026: starting at $441 Regular and $883 Extended, plus City surcharges (Ordinance 188796) | Do not quote old fee amounts; check the City fee estimator |
Sources: 2026 Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines (revised and effective September 28, 2026), 2019 Administrative Guidelines, and the City's current Property Owner Authorization form.
What Did Not Change
The September 28, 2026 update did not change the primary-residence rule, the 120-day Regular cap, or the RSO exclusion. It changed how you prove eligibility and how you renew. These rules also stayed the same:
- You still register only your sole primary residence, where you live more than six months of the year.
- Extended still allows up to 365 days per calendar year.
- Two people per habitable room (children excluded), one booking at a time.
- Two sustained citations can suspend a Regular registration and three can revoke it.
What to Do at Your Next Renewal
A renewal is not a lighter filing. Under Guidelines III.3.b, a renewal must meet every original eligibility requirement again (ID, two residency proofs, property checks) plus the renewal items: a past-compliance declaration, a Records Worksheet for each listing, and per-night-fee compliance. Find your situation below.
If you are a tenant host
- Get a new Property Owner Authorization signed for this renewal. A form from a prior year does not carry over.
- Time the notary appointment. The form must be filed in a complete application within 30 days of the notarization date.
- Use wet or hand-drawn signatures. Typed and DocuSign signatures are rejected.
- Your lease no longer counts as a residency proof, so line up two documents from the current approved list before you start.
If you hold an active Regular registration
- Your renewal opens 60 days before the expiration date on your certificate. File early in that window.
- Check that your California license or ID shows the registered address. If it does not, update it with the DMV first.
- Complete one City Records Worksheet for each non-Airbnb listing. Airbnb bookings are covered by Airbnb's Platform Agreement, so the City does not ask for those records at renewal (Guidelines III.3.b.iii(1)). If you list only on Airbnb, there is no worksheet to file.
- Reconcile your monthly per-night-fee reports against your worksheet before you submit.
- Have your Business Tax Registration Certificate ready in case the City asks for it (Guidelines III.3.b.v).
If your Regular registration has already expired
- Take your listings down now. An expired number is invalid, and the Guidelines require you to stop advertising immediately (Guidelines VII.13).
- You can still file a Regular renewal after expiration. The new 12-month period starts when the City approves it.
- Relist only after you have the approval and a valid registration number.
If you hold Extended and your renewal is coming up
- Put the exact expiration date on your calendar, then mark the day 60 days before it. That is the only window in which an Extended renewal is accepted.
- Prepare the same package as a Regular renewal: ID, two proofs, Records Worksheets, per-night-fee compliance and a fresh owner authorization if you rent.
- File at the start of the window, not the end. A correction request gives you 45 days to respond, but it does not stop your expiration date. See how that plays out in our LA permit processing time tracker.
- A renewal does not pay the neighborhood-notification fee again. A management client's Extended renewal in HARP on October 5, 2026 came to $1,117.58. HARP asked for payment after the City approved the renewal, and the registration arrived by email minutes later. We break down every line of that checkout on our rules page.
- If the window closes before you file, you must file a Regular renewal instead and stay under the 120-day cap until a new Extended registration is approved (Guidelines IV.4.b, Guidelines VI.3). Nights already hosted that year count toward the 120.
If you are applying for Extended for the first time
- You need an active Regular registration, plus either six months registered or a Records Worksheet showing at least 60 hosted days.
- No suspension or revocation in the past two years, and no more than one citation in the past three. Two or more citations sends the application to discretionary review.
- The application fee starts at $883 plus surcharges. After the City confirms your other eligibility, it emails a request for the neighborhood-notification fee. Pay it through HARP within the stated timeframe, or the Extended registration will not be issued (Guidelines IV.3.a).
- Stay under 120 days for the calendar year until the Extended approval is issued. Filing alone does not lift the cap (Guidelines VI.3).
The New Monthly Per-Night-Fee Report
If any of your nights are booked outside Airbnb, you now have a monthly filing. Hosts who use a platform without a City Platform Agreement must report the number of nights booked through those platforms in HARP every month and pay the per-night fee, even when the number is zero (Guidelines VII.7.b.i).
City Planning currently lists Airbnb as the active Platform Agreement (checked October 8, 2026), so Airbnb collects the fee on Airbnb bookings. VRBO, Booking.com and direct bookings are on you. This monthly report is separate from the Records Worksheet you file at renewal. In our experience, the City checks one against the other.
What Is HARP?
HARP is the Home-Sharing Application and Registration Portal, the City of Los Angeles system that replaced its earlier Home-Sharing registration portal. You use it to apply, renew, update a registration, report and pay monthly per-night fees, and search public registration records. Property owners also use it to file a proactive prohibition against tenant Home-Sharing.
HARP is the workflow; the rules come from the Home-Sharing Ordinance and the revised Guidelines. Open it at losangelescaharp-self.govplatform.com, and check any address in the public records portal.
We Track the Deadlines With You
The 2026 rules turned Home-Sharing into a calendar of hard dates: a 60-day Extended window that closes for good, a monthly report if you book anywhere besides Airbnb, and a 30-day clock on every owner form. For the properties we manage, we track your renewal window, send you the monthly night count, and walk you through the paperwork timing step by step, so the renewal date is on our calendar, not just yours. It is part of our full-service Airbnb management, and we have run short-term rentals in Los Angeles since 2012.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Los Angeles Airbnb Rule Changes
What are the new Los Angeles Airbnb rules in 2026?
On September 28, 2026, the City of Los Angeles put revised Home-Sharing Administrative Guidelines into effect. Applicants now need a California DMV driver license or ID with a matching address, two approved proofs of residence, and approval before listing. Extended registrations can only be renewed in the 60 days before expiration, and tenants need a new owner authorization for every filing.
Can I still use my passport for LA Home-Sharing?
No. The 2026 Guidelines accept only a valid California DMV driver license or California DMV identification card showing your true full name and the address you are registering (Guidelines III.1.a.ii). A passport or out-of-state ID does not meet the current requirement.
Is a lease still accepted as proof of residence?
No. Leases, pay stubs, and health or vehicle insurance bills were removed from the approved list. Every applicant now submits two documents from the current list, which includes an LADWP electric bill, a property tax bill with a homeowners' exemption, California vehicle registration, LA County voter documentation, an IRS transcript, a qualifying benefits notice, or a jury summons (Guidelines III.1.a.iii).
What happens if my Extended registration expires before I renew?
You can no longer renew it as Extended. An Extended renewal is accepted only in the 60 days before expiration. After it expires you must file a Regular renewal instead and stay within the 120-day calendar-year cap until a new Extended registration is approved (Guidelines IV.4.b, VI.3). Your listings must also come down until a valid registration number is issued.
Do I need a new landlord authorization to renew?
Yes, if you are a tenant. The City's current Property Owner Authorization form requires a new, notarized authorization for every new application and every renewal. A form from a prior year does not carry over.
What is HARP in Los Angeles?
HARP is the Home-Sharing Application and Registration Portal, the City of Los Angeles system for Home-Sharing applications, renewals and monthly per-night-fee reports. It replaced the City's earlier registration portal in 2026.
Do I have to report zero nights every month?
Yes, if you list on any platform without a City Platform Agreement. Hosts using those platforms must report the number of nights booked through them in HARP each month and pay the per-night fee, even when the number is zero (Guidelines VII.7.b.i). Airbnb collects the fee for Airbnb bookings under its Platform Agreement.
Did the 120-day cap change?
No. A Regular registration still allows up to 120 days of Home-Sharing per calendar year, January 1 through December 31, and an Extended registration allows up to 365. The occupancy limit of two people per habitable room (children excluded) and the citation thresholds for suspension and revocation are also unchanged.
Need the full requirements, fees and document list? Read the complete Los Angeles Airbnb rules guide.