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Local guide

Malibu Short-Term Rental Laws

Malibu, California STR compliance: Malibu requires a STR permit, applies hosted and primary-residence rules, and requires wastewater-system clearance where applicable. Review property eligibility, Short-Term Rental Permit, California local occupancy-tax authority, and renewal actions from official sources.

  • 100+ U.S. cities
  • Official sources
  • Address used only for local rules

Compliance layers

A Clear Answer, Then a Path Forward.

Critical Finding

See whether the property can operate now, what blocks it, and which exception may apply.

Address Context

Confirm zoning, current land use, jurisdiction, and the rules that actually govern the address.

Required Approvals

Get the permits, licenses, documents, inspections, and tax registrations needed before launch.

Recommended Path

Follow prioritized next steps, deadlines, renewal duties, and viable alternatives when rules change.

Decision rule

Malibu: resolve “Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application” before relying on the Short-Term Rental Permit

Malibu requires a STR permit, applies hosted and primary-residence rules, and requires wastewater-system clearance where applicable.

Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application. This is the first property-level screen for the Malibu filing.

Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration. Treat renewal status as part of continued eligibility, not an administrative afterthought.

  • Short-Term Rental Permit

    Malibu requires a STR permit, applies hosted and primary-residence rules, and requires wastewater-system clearance where applicable.

    Warning

Local facts that distinguish Malibu

Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application. Only after that result can this address move from research to an active Short-Term Rental Permit.

Legal posture
Malibu requires a STR permit, applies hosted and primary-residence rules, and requires wastewater-system clearance where applicable.
Local approval
Short-Term Rental Permit
Eligibility boundary
Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application.
Property or operator condition
Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit.
Approval prerequisite
Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it.
Published government charge
The City publishes a $495 permit charge.
Continuing duty
Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration.

Test the Malibu address against its local rules

Apply “Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application” to the actual parcel and rental model before opening the Malibu government case.

  • Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application

    Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application. Retain the official Malibu result that proves this condition; a contrary result stops the Short-Term Rental Permit path.

    Required

  • Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit

    Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit. Retain the official Malibu result that proves this condition; a contrary result stops the Short-Term Rental Permit path.

    Required

  • Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it

    Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it. Retain the official Malibu result that proves this condition; a contrary result stops the Short-Term Rental Permit path.

    Required

Move the Malibu decision “Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit” into an active Short-Term Rental Permit

Start with “Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit”; the resulting local record keeps the Malibu land-use decision distinct from tax registration and renewal.

  1. Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application

    Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application. The observable result is a property-specific record supporting this eligibility decision; otherwise correct the address or rental model before filing.

  2. Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit

    Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit. The observable result is a property-specific record supporting this classification decision; otherwise correct the address or rental model before filing.

  3. Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it

    Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it. The observable result is a property-specific record supporting this prerequisite decision; otherwise correct the address or rental model before filing.

  4. Submit after documenting “Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it”

    Use https://www.malibucity.org/STR. Keep the Malibu case identifier and agency response alongside the evidence for “Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it”; payment or submission alone is not proof that the Short-Term Rental Permit is active.

  5. Set up California California local occupancy-tax authority

    California law authorizes cities and counties to levy a tax on the privilege of occupying lodging; the applicable account is therefore local rather than one statewide STR return. Keep the local registration, returns, and platform-versus-direct booking records required by the city or county that governs the property.

  6. Preserve the Malibu approval after issuance

    Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration.

Separate the Malibu charge from California tax

The City publishes a $495 permit charge.

Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application. The resulting Malibu approval and the California local occupancy-tax authority record solve different compliance problems; neither substitutes for the other.

  • Malibu charge

    The City publishes a $495 permit charge.

  • California local occupancy-tax authority

    California law authorizes cities and counties to levy a tax on the privilege of occupying lodging; the applicable account is therefore local rather than one statewide STR return.

  • Marketplace and direct bookings

    Use the parcel jurisdiction and its current transient-occupancy-tax rules instead of assuming the postal city or platform collection resolves the tax duty.

  • State filing control

    Keep the local registration, returns, and platform-versus-direct booking records required by the city or county that governs the property.

Keep the Malibu approval aligned with the licensed property

Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration.

  • Retain the active Short-Term Rental Permit

    Match the issued record to Malibu, the property address, and the approved rental class while continuing to satisfy “Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application”.

    Required

  • Continue to satisfy: Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application

    Recheck this Malibu condition together with the continuing duty “Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration” before changing ownership, occupancy, unit configuration, or the listing model.

    Required

  • Continue to satisfy: Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit

    Recheck this Malibu condition together with the continuing duty “Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration” before changing ownership, occupancy, unit configuration, or the listing model.

    Required

  • Maintain California records

    Use the parcel jurisdiction and its current transient-occupancy-tax rules instead of assuming the postal city or platform collection resolves the tax duty. Keep the local registration, returns, and platform-versus-direct booking records required by the city or county that governs the property.

    Required

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Short-Term Rental Permit. Malibu requires a STR permit, applies hosted and primary-residence rules, and requires wastewater-system clearance where applicable.

Provide proof of ownership and the required wet-signed application.

Meet hosted and primary-residence conditions for the applicable permit. Obtain OWTS clearance when the property requires it.

California local occupancy-tax authority. California law authorizes cities and counties to levy a tax on the privilege of occupying lodging; the applicable account is therefore local rather than one statewide STR return.

Submit renewal at least 30 days before expiration.