Huntington Beach is a well-known tourist destination, but HB residents deserve the right to enjoy their quality of life in peace.  In an effort to balance the property rights of residents with the rights of the neighbors, the Huntington Beach City Council has adopted rules regarding short-term rental (STR) of residential property.  Sometimes called “vacation rentals” that are typically advertised through online platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO, these are rentals of residential homes for less than 30 days. 

There are several facets to the recently-adopted STR regulations: 

• Only “hosted” short-term rentals are permitted city-wide, which means the property owner must remain on the property throughout the guests’ stay. 

• City permits are required for hosted STRs. 

• ”Unhosted” short-term rentals are allowed in Sunset Beach ONLY… and ONLY if the Sunset Beach property owner obtains a permit from the City by March 1, 2022. After March 1, 2022, the City will ONLY issue permits for hosted STRs. 

• The application fee is $624 for the first two years and $324 annually thereafter. 

To learn more about these new STR rules in Huntington Beach, click this link: bit.ly/HBSTRpermit 

To review the regulations related to both hosted and unhosted STRs in the ordinance, please click this link: bit.ly/HBSTRordinance.  Violations of the rules set forth in the ordinance can result in fines and multiple fines can result in a revocation of the STR permit.  

If you have any questions or need assistance with the application process, please reach out to the City directly at [email protected].