If you're wondering whether you can list your Redondo Beach home on Airbnb, VRBO, or any other vacation rental platform, the short answer is no. Redondo Beach prohibits short-term rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days in all residential zones — and the city actively enforces the ban. Here's what residents, property owners, and visitors need to know.
The rule: no rentals under 30 days
Redondo Beach's municipal code bans residential rentals of less than 30 consecutive days, period. This applies to entire homes, individual rooms, guesthouses, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and any other residential space. The prohibition covers every residential zone in the city — R-1 single-family neighborhoods, R-2 and R-3 multi-family zones, and mixed-use areas with residential units. There is no permit, license, or registration process that allows shorter stays. The ban is categorical.
The city defines a short-term rental as any rental of a residential dwelling unit, or any portion of a residential dwelling unit, for fewer than 30 consecutive days. This includes arrangements listed on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Furnished Finder, and similar services, as well as direct bookings arranged through social media, word of mouth, or any other channel.
Why the ban exists
Redondo Beach enacted its short-term rental prohibition to protect residential neighborhood character and address quality-of-life concerns. The policy reflects issues that many coastal California cities have grappled with: noise complaints from rotating groups of visitors, parking congestion on residential streets, reduced housing availability for long-term residents, and the strain that unhosted vacation rentals can place on neighborhoods that were designed for permanent occupancy.
The city's position is that residential zones are intended for residential use — not commercial lodging operations. Council members have cited the loss of rental housing stock as a particular concern, especially given the city's state-mandated housing obligations and the broader South Bay housing affordability challenge. Each unit converted to a vacation rental is one fewer home available for a long-term renter or owner-occupant.
How enforcement works
The city's code enforcement division investigates short-term rental violations, often triggered by neighbor complaints. Officers monitor vacation rental platforms for Redondo Beach listings and respond to reports from residents. Investigations typically involve verifying the listing, documenting the rental activity, and contacting the property owner.
The enforcement process generally follows the city's standard code enforcement procedures. An initial notice of violation gives the property owner a compliance period to remove the listing and cease rental activity. If the violation continues, the city can issue administrative citations with escalating fines. Repeat or willful violators may face additional penalties through the city's administrative hearing process.
Residents who suspect a neighboring property is being used as an illegal short-term rental can file a complaint with code enforcement. Useful evidence includes the platform listing URL, screenshots of the listing showing the Redondo Beach address or identifiable features, and a log of dates when short-term guests were observed. Complaints can be filed online through the city's reporting channels or by calling Community Development at (310) 318-0637.
What about 30 days or longer?
Rentals of 30 consecutive days or more are legal and treated as standard residential leases. Property owners are free to rent homes, apartments, and ADUs on month-to-month or longer-term leases without any special permit beyond a standard business license (required for landlords operating rental properties in the city). This means that platforms like Furnished Finder, which tend to cater to 30-day-plus furnished rentals for traveling professionals, can be used legally — as long as every booking meets the 30-day minimum.
If you're a homeowner considering renting out a room or unit, the key distinction is duration, not platform. Listing on Airbnb for a minimum 30-day stay is technically permissible under the city's rules. However, property owners should be aware that Airbnb's platform design strongly favors short stays, and accepting even one booking under 30 days would constitute a violation.
How Redondo compares to neighboring cities
Redondo Beach's outright ban puts it among the stricter South Bay cities on short-term rentals, but it's not alone. Most beach cities in the region have adopted some form of restriction, though the approaches vary significantly:
Hermosa Beach prohibits short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days, similar to Redondo Beach. Manhattan Beach also bans rentals under 30 days in residential zones. Torrance prohibits short-term rentals citywide. El Segundo bans them as well. In contrast, the City of Los Angelespermits home-sharing with a registration requirement and a 120-day annual cap for unhosted rentals — a more permissive approach than any South Bay beach city has adopted.
The regional trend is clear: South Bay beach cities have overwhelmingly chosen to prohibit vacation rentals rather than regulate them. This reflects both the intense demand for coastal vacation properties (which creates strong economic incentives to convert residential units) and the quality-of-life concerns that motivated the bans in the first place.
Hotels and legal lodging alternatives
Visitors looking for a place to stay in Redondo Beach have several legal options. The city has multiple hotels and motels, concentrated primarily along the waterfront and near Pacific Coast Highway. These include properties ranging from budget-friendly motels to full-service beachfront hotels. These businesses are properly zoned and licensed for short-term transient occupancy, and they pay the city's transient occupancy tax (TOT) — currently 12% — which funds city services including tourism promotion and public safety.
Neighboring cities like Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach also have hotel options within easy reach. For visitors who specifically want a home-like experience, longer-term furnished rentals (30 days or more) remain available through platforms that support extended stays.
Common questions
“Can I rent my place for just a few weekends while I'm traveling?” No. Any rental under 30 consecutive days violates the city code, regardless of how infrequently you do it. There is no exception for occasional or part-time hosting.
“What about renting a room in my home while I still live there?” Still no, if the stay is under 30 days. The ban applies to both entire units and individual rooms within occupied homes. Hosted or unhosted makes no difference under Redondo Beach's rules.
“I see Redondo Beach listings on Airbnb right now. How is that possible?” Platforms like Airbnb do not automatically filter out listings in cities where short-term rentals are banned. The existence of a listing does not mean it's legal. The city investigates reported listings and takes enforcement action. Some listings may set a 30-day minimum, which would be compliant — always check the minimum stay requirement.
“Could the rules change?” Any change would require a vote by the City Council. As of mid-2026, there is no active proposal to legalize or permit short-term rentals in Redondo Beach. The FY 2026–27 budget did not include any TOT revenue projections from residential short-term rentals, which suggests the city is not anticipating a policy change in the near term.
Key contacts
Report an illegal short-term rental: Community Development / Code Enforcement, (310) 318-0637
Business license questions: Finance Department, (310) 318-0653
General city information: City Hall, (310) 372-1171
For a full directory of city departments, visit our Redondo Beach city contacts page.