Long BeachShort-term rental rules

Largest 50 cities / California

Long Beach caps non-primary (investor) short-term rentals at 800 citywide, with 350 reserved inside the Coastal Zone, while primary-residence rentals are uncapped. The code states registrations may not be transferred and do not run with the land.

Research reviewed Oct 18, 2026. Original city review.

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Does the operating permit transfer?: New application
The code states a registration 'may not be transferred or assigned and does not run with the land'; a buyer must apply fresh and has no priority if the cap is full.
Can the land-use approval continue?: Verify the property approval
The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
Can this buyer obtain approval?: Non-owner-occupied STRs are capped at 800 citywide, with 350 reserved for the Coastal Zone; no per-night limit once registered, but one registration per operator.
License or registration: Development Services issues a 1-year Primary Residence registration (uncapped) or Non-Primary Residence registration (investor, capped).
Application availability: Confirm current availability
Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
Timing to verify: No sale-specific deadline was established in this summary. Ask the issuing office about filing, renewal and any interruption in operation.
Changes and uncertainty: Code was fully rewritten in 2025 and amended again in 2026; an 'under review' notice is still live.

What this means for the appraisal

Obtain the buyer application requirements and confirm the earliest approved operating date before assuming continuity of rental income.
Verify the property’s land-use approval and continuation conditions. Research finding: Verify the property approval.
Check the proposed buyer against the recorded requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are capped at 800 citywide, with 350 reserved for the Coastal Zone; no per-night limit once registered, but one registration per operator.
In the assignment analysis, identify the evidence supporting the proposed rental use, any operating interruption and any unresolved assumptions.

Use these prompts to plan the property review. The appraiser must evaluate the evidence and reach the assignment-specific conclusions.

Record the property evidence in a worksheet

Request documents from the owner or agent

Copy this market-specific request, add the property address and edit it for the assignment.

Read or select the document request

Document request for Long Beach

Subject: STR property document request | Long Beach, CA

Please provide the following documents for the property under review. Identify any item that is unavailable or does not apply.

1. Property address, parcel ID and confirmation of the governing jurisdiction.
2. Current operating permit or registration, named holder, expiration date and renewal history, if applicable.
3. Written ownership-change instructions from the issuing office. Guide finding: The code states a registration 'may not be transferred or assigned and does not run with the land'; a buyer must apply fresh and has no priority if the cap is full.
4. Zoning approval, conditional-use permit, variance or grandfathering record, including conditions and evidence of continued use. Guide finding: The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
5. Documents addressing the proposed buyer and property requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are capped at 800 citywide, with 350 reserved for the Coastal Zone; no per-night limit once registered, but one registration per operator.
6. Current confirmation of application availability, including any cap, waitlist, lottery or separation rule. Guide finding: Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
7. Recorded covenants, HOA or condominium rental restrictions and applicable lease restrictions.
8. Rental operating statements and booking records, with the periods covered and any anticipated interruption at closing.

Market research reviewed: 2026-10-18. These requests need property-specific verification.
Official research sources:
Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.77 (Short-Term Rentals): https://library.municode.com/ca/long_beach/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT5REBUTRPR_CH5.77SHRMRE
City of Long Beach Short-Term Rentals program page: https://www.longbeach.gov/lbcd/enforcement/strs/

Subject: STR property document request | Long Beach, CA

Please provide the following documents for the property under review. Identify any item that is unavailable or does not apply.

1. Property address, parcel ID and confirmation of the governing jurisdiction.
2. Current operating permit or registration, named holder, expiration date and renewal history, if applicable.
3. Written ownership-change instructions from the issuing office. Guide finding: The code states a registration 'may not be transferred or assigned and does not run with the land'; a buyer must apply fresh and has no priority if the cap is full.
4. Zoning approval, conditional-use permit, variance or grandfathering record, including conditions and evidence of continued use. Guide finding: The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
5. Documents addressing the proposed buyer and property requirements: Non-owner-occupied STRs are capped at 800 citywide, with 350 reserved for the Coastal Zone; no per-night limit once registered, but one registration per operator.
6. Current confirmation of application availability, including any cap, waitlist, lottery or separation rule. Guide finding: Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
7. Recorded covenants, HOA or condominium rental restrictions and applicable lease restrictions.
8. Rental operating statements and booking records, with the periods covered and any anticipated interruption at closing.

Market research reviewed: 2026-10-18. These requests need property-specific verification.
Official research sources:
Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.77 (Short-Term Rentals): https://library.municode.com/ca/long_beach/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT5REBUTRPR_CH5.77SHRMRE
City of Long Beach Short-Term Rentals program page: https://www.longbeach.gov/lbcd/enforcement/strs/

Research and guide updates

Oct 18, 2026 Research record: Research recorded for this market. Original city review. See the findings, open questions and official sources below.
Nov 1, 2026 Guide tools: Added assignment prompts, a document request and consistent research questions. This tool update does not change the market research date.

Changes and uncertainty to verify

Code was fully rewritten in 2025 and amended again in 2026; an 'under review' notice is still live.

Sources and research limits

Carried forward from the October 18, 2026 city research. The explorer separates the operating permit from land-use rights; this is not a new verification of all current city rules.

Use this summary to identify the documents and questions for a property review. A seller's rental history alone does not establish a buyer's permission to operate.

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