Los Angeles County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Malibu?
AllowedMalibu requires an annual city short-term rental permit for each lot or condominium unit, with no cap and, as currently codified, no requirement that the owner live on site. An adopted hosted-STR ordinance is waiting on Coastal Commission certification, and the code says nothing about permits surviving a sale.
Proposed, not in effect: Hosted STR requirements adopted by Ord. 472 (2020-11-23) cannot go into effect until the associated Local Coastal Program and Land Use Plan amendments are certified by the California Coastal Commission; eCode360 history also lists Ord. 523 (2024-10-14) as pending Coastal Commission certificate. Once certified, an onsite host requirement would apply. (council date 2024-10-14)
source. This page states adopted law only; a pending change is never written as current law.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L117.55.010(A) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1MMC Ch. 17.55 (Ord. 468 § 2, 2020; Ord. 472, adopted 2020-11-23, not operative pending Coastal Commission certification; Ord. 523, 2024-10-14, noted pending Coastal Commission certificate) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1MMC Ch. 17.55 (Ord. 468 § 2, 2020; Ord. 472, adopted 2020-11-23, not operative pending Coastal Commission certification; Ord. 523, 2024-10-14, noted pending Coastal Commission certificate) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsNo numeric caps in the chapter as codified. A separate permit is required for every legal lot or condominium unit. The adopted but uncertified hosted STR ordinance (Ord. 472, and Ord. 523 of 2024-10-14 noted in the history as pending Coastal Commission certificate) would add hosted requirements when certified.L1MMC Ch. 17.55 (Ord. 468 § 2, 2020; Ord. 472, adopted 2020-11-23, not operative pending Coastal Commission certification; Ord. 523, 2024-10-14, noted pending Coastal Commission certificate) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsCode silent on transfer. The permit is annual and issued to an owner for a specific lot or condominium unit, which implies a buyer must obtain their own permit, but no section states what happens on sale and no exceptions (family, trust, entity) exist in the chapter.L1none; Ch. 17.55 contains no transfer provision · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
17.55.010(A)“Short-term rental of property (or the advertisement, offer, or facilitation, of such rental), is prohibited unless conducted in strict compliance with the requirements of this chapter by an owner who possesses a valid short-term rental permit.” source
Ch. 17.55“A separate short-term rental permit is required for every legal lot or condominium unit (if a condominium unit is to be rented).” source
Ch. 17.55“Maximum occupancy [...] shall be limited to two people more than twice the number of bedrooms listed on city or county records up to a maximum of 14 people.” source
Ch. 17.55“Any violation of Section 17.55.010(A) shall be subject to a fine of $1,000 per day or violation, or twice the advertised short-term rental's daily rental rate per day or violation, whichever is higher.” source
Citation: MMC Ch. 17.55 (Ord. 468 § 2, 2020; Ord. 472, adopted 2020-11-23, not operative pending Coastal Commission certification; Ord. 523, 2024-10-14, noted pending Coastal Commission certificate)
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How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-13 by the CanIBnB research desk. Research is AI assisted and human reviewed; the method, the level system, and the re-check schedule are on the How we verify page. If anything here is wrong, report it and it goes in the public corrections log.