Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Manhattan Beach, California
Outside the Coastal Zone, renting a home or room in a Manhattan Beach residential zone for less than 30 consecutive days is prohibited, and so is advertising it. The city's short-term rental ban expressly excludes properties in the Coastal Zone, where rules come from the city's Local Coastal Program, so check with the city if your home is near the beach.
| Rentals under 30 days (residential zones outside Coastal Zone) | Prohibited [2] |
| Advertising a stay under 30 days | Prohibited [3] |
| Coastal Zone properties | Excluded from the Ch. 4.88 ban [1] |
| Definition of transient use | Rental of a dwelling for less than 30 days [4] |
| Single-family transient use in RS, RM, RH, RPD, RSC districts | Not permitted in zoning use table [5] |
| Penalty | Misdemeanor or infraction; administrative citations [6] |
The ban outside the Coastal Zone
Chapter 4.88 makes it unlawful, in residential zones except for properties in the city's Coastal Zone [1], to:
- offer or rent a home, a unit or a room for less than 30 consecutive days [2];
- stay in one on those terms; or
- maintain an advertisement for a stay of less than 30 consecutive days [3].
"Transient use" means renting or leasing a single-family or multi-family unit for less than 30 days [4]. The zoning use table also lists single-family and multi-family transient use as not permitted in every residential district (RS, RM, RH, RPD and RSC) [5]. That applies whether or not you live in the home, so there is no owner-occupied or home-sharing exception in the code.
Coastal Zone
The Chapter 4.88 prohibition and the hosting-platform rules both expressly exclude properties in the Coastal Zone. Development there is governed by the certified Local Coastal Program, whose residential use rules weren't among the sources we reviewed. If your home is in the Coastal Zone, confirm with the Community Development Department whether short-term rentals are allowed and under what conditions before listing.
Platforms and enforcement
Outside the Coastal Zone, hosting platforms must disclose listings to the city and may not complete bookings for residential properties when they receive a fee. Violations are a public nuisance and a misdemeanor, which the City Prosecutor may charge as an infraction, and the city may also issue administrative citations [6]. The city can subpoena listing details such as names, addresses, lengths of stay and prices.
Rentals of 30 days or more
Stays of 30 days or longer aren't covered by Chapter 4.88. ADUs and junior ADUs must also be rented only for 30 days or longer under their recorded covenants (see ADUs).
The code we reviewed has no short-term rental permit, registration or fee, because these rentals are banned rather than licensed in the areas it covers.
Next steps
- Find out whether your property is inside the city's Coastal Zone (Community Development, 1400 Highland Ave.).
- Outside the Coastal Zone, rent only for 30 consecutive days or longer and don't advertise shorter stays.
- Inside the Coastal Zone, ask the Planning Division what the Local Coastal Program allows and whether a permit or transient occupancy tax registration is required before listing.
Common questions
- Are short-term rentals legal in Manhattan Beach, California?
- Outside the Coastal Zone, no. Renting a home or room in a residential zone for less than 30 consecutive days is prohibited, and so is advertising it.
- Does the short-term rental ban apply in the Coastal Zone in Manhattan Beach, California?
- No, the ban expressly excludes Coastal Zone properties, where rules come from the city's Local Coastal Program. Check with the city if your home is near the beach.
- What is the penalty for an illegal short-term rental in Manhattan Beach, California?
- A misdemeanor or infraction, with administrative citations.
California state rules for short-term rentals
California has no statewide short-term rental license or registry. Your city or county decides whether and how you can rent on Airbnb or VRBO, including permits, caps, primary-residence rules and minimum stays.
Taxes: cities and counties may levy a transient occupancy tax (TOT) on stays of 30 days or less (Rev. & Tax. Code §7280). Rates and registration are local, and the county rate applies only in unincorporated areas.
New platform reporting law: since January 1, 2026, a city or county can adopt an ordinance requiring platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to report the address of each short-term rental (Gov. Code §50990 et seq., SB 346). Where a city has opted in, listings must also show the local license number and TOT certificate.
ADUs and SB 9 units: state law lets cities require that ADUs be rented for 30 days or longer. It requires that for by-right ADUs, junior ADUs and units built under SB 9 lot splits (see ADUs).
Coastal zone: in a December 2016 letter, the Coastal Commission said:
- STR rules in the coastal zone must be adopted through the city's Local Coastal Program or a coastal development permit, and bans adopted any other way are likely not enforceable there.
- The Commission has not historically supported blanket STR bans, finding they unduly limit public access to the coast.
- It has supported reasonable limits, such as caps on the number of rentals, occupancy limits, and limits on which housing types can be rented.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 4.88.020, Municipal Code Ch. 4.88 Transient Uses Including Short-Term Rentals
It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to do any of the following in residential zones, except with respect to properties located within the City's Coastal Zone:
- Sec. 4.88.020(A), Municipal Code Ch. 4.88 Transient Uses Including Short-Term Rentals
Offer or make available for rent or to rent (by way of a rental agreement, lease, license or any other means, whether oral or written) for compensation or consideration a residential dwelling, a dwelling unit or a room in a dwelling for less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
- Sec. 4.88.020(C), Municipal Code Ch. 4.88 Transient Uses Including Short-Term Rentals
Maintain any advertisement of a residential dwelling, a dwelling unit or a room in a dwelling for less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
- Sec. 4.88.010, Municipal Code Ch. 4.88 Transient Uses Including Short-Term Rentals
The rental or lease of a single-family dwelling unit or multi-family dwelling unit for a period of less than thirty (30) days.
- Sec. 10.04.030, Single-Family Transient Use, Municipal Code Title 10 Part I General Provisions (10.04.030 Definitions; use classifications)
Rental or lease of a single-family dwelling unit for a period of less than thirty (30) days.
- Sec. 4.88.060(A), Municipal Code Ch. 4.88 Transient Uses Including Short-Term Rentals
Any violation of this chapter is unlawful, is hereby declared a public nuisance, and constitutes a misdemeanor punishable as set forth in Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 1.04.010 .