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HomeShort-Term Rental LawsCaliforniaLong BeachShort-Term Rental Registration

Before you list

Long Beach Short-Term Rental Registration

How to register a Long Beach STR: residence class, $500 review fee, inspection and consent, approval checks, renewal, and official sources.

  • Property eligibility
  • Official sources
  • You control every submission

Approval path

One Property, One Ordered Path from Requirements to Renewal.

Confirm the Property

Verify the address, jurisdiction, property type, eligibility rules, and private restrictions.

Prepare the Required Records

Bring the host, ownership, residence, tax, insurance, and supporting records into one file.

Follow 6 Ordered Stages

Work through the government sequence, then retain the submitted record and confirmation.

Verify and Maintain

Confirm the issued approval, publish required details, and track taxes, changes, and renewal.

Do this first

Outcome and first blocking condition

Long Beach registration starts with a pre-payment eligibility audit because the $500 fee can become non-refundable and does not guarantee approval. The most important decision is the primary/non-primary track, followed by structure, building, cap, inspection, and citation checks.

Expected outcome: a property-specific record that satisfies the current Long Beach workflow and is ready for the operating controls listed below.

First blocking condition: Choose primary or non-primary registration and hosted or unhosted activity before applying.

  • Registration depends on residence class and cap

    Allowed only for an eligible dwelling with the correct registration type, inspection/consent, and operating compliance.

    Warning

Prerequisites to collect before filing

Use the same legal owner name and property address across every record.

  • Selected primary/non-primary and hosted/unhosted classification

    Required

  • Evidence of 275-day primary residence when using that track

    Required

  • Qualified-dwelling and unit-count evidence

    Required

  • Prohibited Buildings List, code-case, citation, and coastal-zone checks

    Required

  • Notarized owner authorization when the applicant is not the owner

    Required

How to complete the Long Beach workflow

Each step includes a visible success result and a correction path.

  1. Choose the legal registration track

    Document primary/non-primary status and hosted/unhosted activity; for primary residence, support the 275-day test. Success: The proposed operation matches one city registration type. If blocked: If the facts do not support the chosen track, change the model before paying.

  2. Run the property disqualifier check

    Verify qualified-dwelling status, exclude ADU/JADU use, check the prohibited list, unit cap, code cases, citation debt, and coastal zone. Success: No known property-level blocker remains. If blocked: Resolve the blocker or obtain written city guidance before submitting a non-refundable fee.

  3. Prepare documents and inspection access

    Collect property/residency evidence, owner authorization, contacts, and information for all guest-accessed areas. Success: The application and inspection file use the same unit boundaries. If blocked: If unsafe or unpermitted space is found, correct it before relying on approval timing.

  4. Submit the correct application and $500 fee

    Use the primary-residence route or, for non-primary property, the Application of Interest/reservation process. Success: The city confirms the application is in review or a non-primary reservation/waitlist status. If blocked: A waitlist position is not permission to operate.

  5. Close every correction within 45 days

    Track the city review date and resolve document or safety corrections before the window ends. Success: The city issues the annual registration number. If blocked: If the window will be missed, contact the city before assuming an extension.

  6. Launch listing and TOT controls

    Add the registration number, calendar renewal 30 days early, and set monthly 13% TOT reporting by channel. Success: Listings, registration, and monthly tax reports reconcile. If blocked: Do not omit Airbnb receipts from reports just because Airbnb remits the tax.

What to maintain after approval or registration

An unqualified structure, prohibited building, active code case, unpaid citation, failed inspection, missed 45-day correction window, or non-primary cap can block approval. Renew 30 days before expiration; an expired or invalid registration makes continued listing and operation enforceable.

  • Calendar renewal at least 30 days before the approval anniversary

    Required

  • Track primary-residence unhosted nights against the 90-day cap

    Required

  • Retain monthly TOT reports for Airbnb, other platforms, and direct bookings

    Required

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Choose primary or non-primary registration and hosted or unhosted activity before applying. A submitted form or payment does not cure a jurisdiction or property-eligibility problem.

Listings, registration, and monthly tax reports reconcile.

Keep the same Long Beach application record, correct the specific mismatch the agency identified, and retain the response. The first known blocker for this workflow is: If the facts do not support the chosen track, change the model before paying.

Recheck Long Beach's instructions before payment, launch, and renewal. This short-term rental registration workflow was verified on August 11, 2026 and is scheduled for review by 2026-09-10.