Orange County · checked 2026-09-16
Can you BnB it in Seal Beach?
RestrictedSeal Beach restricts STRs to residential zones in the Coastal Zone only, capped at 1 percent of coastal zone residential units (about 47) with a lottery, one per owner, and permits that are personal, expire annually, and do not survive a sale. Pre October 2022 CUP rentals are grandfathered while their CUP is valid.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L111.4.05.135 (as described in the Coastal Commission staff report) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1SBMC 11.4.05.135; Ordinance 1701, adopted January 9, 2023; certified through LCP amendment 5-23-0482 (Coastal Commission hearing July 11, 2024) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Caps and limits11.4.05.135.C.3: total STR permits, combined with STRs holding CUPs, shall not exceed 1 percent of the residential units in the coastal zone (the CCC report computed this as about 47); permits issued by lottery (C.4). One STR per owner citywide (C.9.f.ii); one permit per property, except condo/townhome properties: up to 15 units 1 permit, 16 or more units 4 permits.L111.4.05.135 (as quoted in the Coastal Commission staff report) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Transfer when the home sellsSBMC 11.4.05.135.C.7: the STR permit is personal and may not be transferred or assigned and does not run with the land; valid 1 year, renewable annually.L111.4.05.135 (as quoted in the Coastal Commission staff report) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
11.4.05.135 (as quoted in the Coastal Commission staff report)“total number of permitted STR units shall not exceed one percent of the total number of residential units in the Coastal Zone” source
11.4.05.135 (as quoted in the Coastal Commission staff report)“STR permits do not run with the land [...] Upon sale of a property with an STR permit, the permit becomes invalid for that property” source
11.4.05.135 (as described in the Coastal Commission staff report)“The STR Program would regulate STRs in all residential zoned areas of the City's Coastal Zone.” source
11.4.05.135.C.2“STR must be located within the coastal zone.” source
Citation: SBMC 11.4.05.135; Ordinance 1701, adopted January 9, 2023; certified through LCP amendment 5-23-0482 (Coastal Commission hearing July 11, 2024)
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How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-16 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.