Airbnb management in Santa Monica is something you can self-manage. You handle the city approvals and taxes. BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7. Your person on site handles cleaning and repairs. Your first 500 messages are free, with all features and no card; after that it is $10 a month per unit (each listing you connect).
Airbnb Management in Santa Monica: How You Self-Manage with BnBGenius
Self-managing means you manage your own Airbnb while the work splits three ways:
| The work | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo | BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7 |
| Cleaning and repairs after checkout | BnBGenius creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout; your person on site does the work |
| Guest reviews | BnBGenius requests a review from the guest and publishes the host's review |
| Guest calls | Voice Concierge, an add-on, answers guest calls with a voice AI agent |
| Extra nights and flexible times | BnBGenius sells gap nights, early check-in and late checkout |
| Prices and calendar | You: BnBGenius is not a pricing tool or a channel manager |
| Santa Monica permit, renewal, taxes and local contact | You: BnBGenius does not issue permits; permit and city duties remain yours |
BnBGenius installs as a Chrome extension in about 5 minutes, with no API keys and no passwords shared. BnBGenius is run from Telegram.
The city's rules center on your own presence in the home. You rent bedrooms in your primary residence, and you live on site, in the dwelling unit, throughout the visitors' stay (Home-share definition) (Lives on site definition, 6.20.010(i)). You also need 2 city approvals, not 1: a Home-Share permit and a Business License (Home-share application). You must ensure basic health and safety features are provided, including fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors (Basic safety features, 6.20.020(a)(5)). You must also take responsibility for and actively prevent nuisance activities from your home-sharing (Host nuisance prevention, 6.20.020(a)(4)).
A Week of Self-Managing Your Airbnb in Santa Monica
Airbnb management in Santa Monica gets easier when the city duties sit in one place. Here is how short-term rental management in Santa Monica can flow across a typical week. The steps follow a practical order, not legal deadlines.
1. Before the first guest. Confirm your rental fits the hosted home-share definition: renting for 30 consecutive days or less, 1 or more bedrooms in a dwelling unit that is your primary residence, while you live on site, in the dwelling unit, throughout the visitors' stay (Home-share definition). Then apply for both approvals: the Home-Share permit and the Business License (Home-share application). An eligible resident is a natural person who is an owner or long-term resident and uses the dwelling unit as a primary residence (Eligible resident definition, 6.20.010(e)). The application requires 2 documents proving that primary residence, each showing your full name and the home-share address, such as a California vehicle registration or a California driver's license or State ID (Primary residence evidence and one primary residence, 6.20.010(m)) (How to Apply for a Home-Share Business License).
2. A booking comes in. Check the city's group limit before accepting. You cannot book or rent to more than 2 groups of visitors for any given date, whether the people in the groups are related or not (Two visitor groups, 6.20.020(a)(6)). Also check your listing limits. You may post no more than 2 listings for the home-share on each hosting platform or other media outlet, and if you list on multiple platforms, only 2 listings may be booked for any given date (Two listings and booking limits, 6.20.022(b)). The occupancy formula is in the checklist row called “Groups and occupancy.” In short, the count includes you, all eligible residents and all visitors, capped by the lowest of 3 limits (Full occupancy formula, 6.20.020(a)(7)).
3. Before arrival. Make sure your advertisement carries the required information; the FAQ below lists all 6 items in full. For cars, visitors are limited to whichever is less: 1 vehicle per rented bedroom, or, in a preferential parking zone, 2 vehicles that must use visitor permits under Chapter 3.08 (Visitor vehicle lower-limit rule, regulations VIII.F). A visitor's vehicle may be parked on site, to the extent available, or in legal street parking (Visitor vehicles and legal parking, 6.20.020(a)(8)).
4. During the stay. You must live in the dwelling unit throughout the visitor's stay, and physical presence includes sleeping overnight, preparing and eating meals, and other typical activities (Home-share definition) (Lives on site definition, 6.20.010(i)). Ensure basic health and safety features are provided, including fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors (Basic safety features, 6.20.020(a)(5)). You must take responsibility for and actively prevent nuisance activities from your home-sharing (Host nuisance prevention, 6.20.020(a)(4)), and comply with all applicable laws, including the noise limits in Chapter 4.12 (Applicable laws and noise, 6.20.020(a)(11)). Guest messages during the stay are covered by the guest-message row in the table above.
5. Checkout. Arrange with your person on site for the physical cleaning and repairs. The task and review rows in the table above cover this part of the turnover.
6. Each month. The city's return form is for the month ending (Tax return reporting period, current city return). The city imposes a 17% tax on the total amount paid for room rental by or for a transient for the use of a home-share (Home-share tax rule), and payment is due on the first day after the end of the reporting period (Tax payment due date, current city return). A good habit is to review your booking receipts each month and compare them against your records before filing.
7. At renewal and changes. Both your Business License and Home-Share permit are valid through June 30th and must be renewed on July 1st of each year (Renewal date). If there are material changes to your application information, you must submit an amended application on a City form, signed by you under penalty of perjury, within 30 days of any such changes. Any change to required application information counts as material, and failure to submit the amended application may result in revocation of both the permit and the license (Material application changes, 6.20.021(c)). The permit cannot be assigned or transferred to any other person (No assignment or transfer, 6.20.021(f)).
Santa Monica Short-Term Rental Permit and Rules: Your Checklist
The Santa Monica short-term rental permit goes by the name Home-Share permit, and the city also requires a separate Business License. Anyone who wishes to participate in the Home-Sharing Program must first apply and be approved for both (Home-share application). Work through this checklist first.
- Hosted use: Your rental must be in the dwelling unit that is your primary residence. You must live on site, in the dwelling unit, throughout the visitors' stay (Home-share definition).
- Two approvals: You must apply and be approved for a Home-Share permit and a Business License before participating (Home-share application). You must keep both current at all times (Maintain permit and business license, 6.20.020(a)(1)).
- Who can host: An eligible resident is a natural person. That person is an owner or a long-term resident of the dwelling unit. The unit must be that person's primary residence (Eligible resident definition, 6.20.010(e)). You must show 2 documents with your full name and the home-share address (How to Apply for a Home-Share Business License).
- Renewal and changes: Both documents are valid through June 30th. Renew each on July 1st every year (Renewal date). Each renewal application carries a Council-set fee (Initial and renewal fees set by resolution, 6.20.021(b)). For application changes, follow the full procedure in step 7 above.
- Groups and occupancy: You may not book or rent to more than 2 visitor groups on any date, whether related or not (Two visitor groups, 6.20.020(a)(6)). Count the host, all other eligible residents and all visitors. The cap is the lowest of these three: 10 persons; 1 person per 200 square feet of the dwelling unit; or 2 persons per bedroom. Minor children do not count toward the bedroom cap (Full occupancy formula, 6.20.020(a)(7)).
- Cars: Visitors are limited to whichever is less: 1 vehicle per rented bedroom or, if the home-share is in a preferential parking zone, 2 vehicles. In that zone, visitors must use Chapter 3.08 visitor permits (Visitor vehicle lower-limit rule, regulations VIII.F). A visitor's vehicle may be parked on site, to the extent available, or in legal street parking (Visitor vehicles and legal parking, 6.20.020(a)(8)).
- Listings: Your ad must show the City business license number (Full advertisement information, 6.20.022(a)). See the FAQ for the ad's other required details. You may post no more than 2 listings for the home-share on each hosting platform or other media outlet. If listed on multiple platforms or outlets, only 2 listings may be booked for any date (Two listings and booking limits, 6.20.022(b)).
- Safety and noise: Ensure basic health and safety features are provided. Examples are fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors (Basic safety features, 6.20.020(a)(5)). Take responsibility for nuisance activities that may result from home-sharing. Actively prevent them (Host nuisance prevention, 6.20.020(a)(4)). Follow all applicable laws. This includes noise limits in Chapter 4.12. Follow all health and safety laws. Follow all building and fire protection laws. Follow all rent control laws (Applicable laws and noise, 6.20.020(a)(11)).
- Insurance: There are two ways to meet the liability coverage rule. One way is liability insurance for home-sharing. It must provide at least $500,000 in coverage. The other way is a hosting platform. Use it for each home-sharing transaction. It must provide equal or greater coverage (Liability insurance and transaction alternative, 6.20.020(a)(9)).
- Enforcement: Hosts who violate the chapter face administrative fines and administrative penalties under Chapters 1.09 and 1.10 of the Code (Administrative enforcement, 6.20.100(c)).
"No host may be the host for more than one home-share."
What this means for you: If you already host one home-share, you cannot host another.
"All business licenses and Home-Share permits are valid through June 30th and must be renewed on July 1st of each year."
Source: Renewal date
What this means for you: Your permit and license share the same dates. You must renew both on July 1st each year.
You can read the full city home-sharing rules and the current application page on the City's website.
Santa Monica Airbnb Taxes
Santa Monica taxes each transient who occupies a home-share. Effective March 1, 2023, the city imposes a tax equal to 17% of the total amount paid for room rental by or for any such transient for the use of a home-share (Home-share tax rule). The city's current tax return form lists the Home-Share tax as 17% of Line 3 (Current home-share tax). Payment is due on the first day after the end of the reporting period (Tax payment due date, current city return). You, as the host, must collect and remit Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), in coordination with any hosting platform if utilized, to the City and comply with all City TOT requirements in Chapter 6.68 (Tax collection and city compliance, 6.20.020(a)(3)).
What Airbnb Management in Santa Monica Costs When You Self-Manage
City application costs come from the current fee breakdown:
- Minimum license tax: $75.00 (Current application fee breakdown and potential total)
- Processing fee: $44.85 (Current application fee breakdown and potential total)
- Home-Share review fee: $458.40 (Current application fee breakdown and potential total)
- CASP: $4.00 (Current application fee breakdown and potential total)
- Potential total amount due: $582.25 (Current application fee breakdown and potential total)
That total is what an applicant may owe at application. The initial application and each renewal application carry a fee set by City Council resolution (Initial and renewal fees set by resolution, 6.20.021(b)), so ask the city for the current renewal amount. The 17% home-share charge is a tax, not a permit fee (Home-share tax rule).
Insurance is a separate line. You need liability coverage of at least $500,000 for home-sharing, or each transaction must run through a hosting platform providing equal or greater coverage (Liability insurance and transaction alternative, 6.20.020(a)(9)).
One tax penalty rule is worth knowing. If any tax becomes delinquent, the Director of Finance imposes a penalty of 10% of the tax amount. If the tax remains delinquent and unpaid for 30 days, an additional 10% penalty is added (Tax delinquency penalties, current city return).
Your first 500 messages are free, with all features and no card; after that it is $10 a month per unit (each listing you connect).
If you hire a management company instead, ask it directly for its fee. For the physical work, budget for your person on site's cleaning and repair time; the right amount depends on your home and schedule.
Santa Monica Airbnb FAQ for Self-Managing Owners
Can I manage my own Airbnb in Santa Monica? Yes, if your home qualifies as a hosted home-share. You live on site in your primary residence throughout the visitors' stay (Home-share definition). You also need a Home-Share permit and a Business License (Home-share application). Section 6.20.020(a) authorizes home-sharing in the City only if the host complies with its requirements (Home-sharing conditional authorization, 6.20.020(a)).
Do I need a Santa Monica short-term rental permit? The city's document is called a Home-Share permit, and you need it plus a Business License (Home-share application). You must maintain both at all times while home-sharing (Maintain permit and business license, 6.20.020(a)(1)).
How much does the application cost? The current breakdown is a $75.00 minimum license tax, a $44.85 processing fee, a $458.40 Home-Share review fee and a $4.00 CASP item, for a potential total of $582.25 (Current application fee breakdown and potential total). Renewal applications carry a separate Council-set fee (Initial and renewal fees set by resolution, 6.20.021(b)). Ask the city for the current renewal amount.
Who can be a host, and which residence papers do I need? An eligible resident is a natural person who is a long-term resident or owner and uses the unit as a primary residence (Eligible resident definition, 6.20.010(e)). You need at least 2 listed documents proving that primary residence (Primary residence evidence and one primary residence, 6.20.010(m)). Submit two documents that show the proposed host's full name and the home-share address (How to Apply for a Home-Share Business License).
Can I rent the entire home while I travel? No, not as a home-share. A vacation rental is renting a dwelling unit, in whole or in part, for 30 consecutive days or less, for exclusive transient use, meaning no eligible resident lives on site throughout any visitor's stay; units in City-approved hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts are not considered vacation rentals (Vacation rental definition, 6.20.010(n)). The city prohibits vacation rentals and any home-sharing that does not comply with the chapter (Prohibited rentals, 6.20.030(a)). Home-sharing requires you on site for the whole stay (Home-share definition).
How many guests can stay? The occupancy count includes you, all other eligible residents and all visitors, so you count too. The full lowest-of-3-caps formula is in the checklist above (Full occupancy formula, 6.20.020(a)(7)). You also may not book or rent to more than 2 groups of visitors for any given date, whether the groups are related or not (Two visitor groups, 6.20.020(a)(6)).
What about cars and advertisements? Visitors get whichever is less: 1 vehicle per rented bedroom, or 2 vehicles using Chapter 3.08 visitor permits in a preferential parking zone (Visitor vehicle lower-limit rule, regulations VIII.F). Vehicles park on site where available or in legal street parking (Visitor vehicles and legal parking, 6.20.020(a)(8)). Your ad must include the City business license number, that the host lives on site and will be present in the home-share throughout the visitor's stay, the permitted occupancy as shown in the application, the permitted number of visitor vehicles, that the home-share cannot be booked or rented to more than 2 groups of visitors for any given date whether the groups are related or not, and any other information required by regulations (Full advertisement information, 6.20.022(a)).
Which tax applies, and when is payment due? The city taxes home-shares at 17% of the total amount paid for room rental by or for a transient (Home-share tax rule). The city's return lists Home-Share tax as 17% of Line 3 (Current home-share tax). Payment is due on the first day after the reporting period ends (Tax payment due date, current city return). A delinquent tax draws a 10% penalty, plus another 10% if it remains delinquent and unpaid for 30 days (Tax delinquency penalties, current city return).
Must I be nearby or have someone on call? You must live on site, in the dwelling unit, throughout the visitors' stay (Home-share definition). Physical presence includes sleeping overnight, preparing and eating meals, and other typical activities in the dwelling unit (Lives on site definition, 6.20.010(i)).
When do I renew, and can the permit transfer? Both approvals last through June 30th each year. You renew them on July 1st (Renewal date). The permit cannot be assigned or transferred to another person (No assignment or transfer, 6.20.021(f)). Material application changes follow the amended-application steps in step 7 above (Material application changes, 6.20.021(c)).
Airbnb Property Management in Santa Monica: Self-Manage or Hire a Company
Airbnb property management in Santa Monica gives you a choice: handle it yourself with your own tools, or hand the whole job to a management company.
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Rules and rates last checked on 11 November 2026.
