FAQs • Inglewood, CA • CivicEngage

Who Is Responsible for Paying the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)?: Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) shall be paid by all Short Term Rental operators. If a Short Term Rental Host Platform does not receive payment for the rental, Short Term Rental Hosts are solely responsible for collecting all applicable TOT and remittance of the collected tax to the City. If a Short Term Rental Host Platform does collect payment for rentals, then it and the Short Term Rental operator shall have legal responsibility for the TOT’s collection and remittance.

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Housing protection - STR

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1. What is a Short Term Rental (STR)?: A Short-Term Rental is a rental of a legally permitted dwelling for periods of 30 consecutive days or less, counting portions of the calendar as full days. The rental can be the entire home or limited to one or more rooms.

2. Why does the City of Inglewood regulate Short Term Rentals?: Regulating Short Term Rental properties is critical for public health and safety.

3. What is the difference between Hosted, Unhosted, and Vacation rental?

Pursuant to Inglewood Municipal Code Section 8 -137:

Short Term Rental Hosted is a Dwelling Unit rented in part for which the Short Term Rental Host rents out a room and remains in the Dwelling Unit during the stay.
Short Term Rental Unhosted is a dwelling unit rented in its entirety for which the Short Term Rental Host does not remain in the Dwelling Unit during the stay.
Vacation Rental: An unhosted (whole house) rental that may only occur if the proposed STR property is within 1000 ft. of the primary residence.

4. Who can operate a Short Term Rental (STR)?: Inglewood residential property owners, who also reside in the city of Inglewood, can operate a Short Term Rental in the city as long as all eligibility requirements (including property type) are met.

5. Can my STR property be owned by my business or company?: No. Properties must be owned by a natural person and not by a company (i.e., LLC, LLP, Inc., Assoc., Corp., Co., Ltd., etc.)

6. Will I need to obtain a Residential Rental Business Tax Certificate and an STR Permit?: Yes. The property owner is required to obtain a valid Residential Rental Business Tax Certificate, and a City issued STR Permit prior to advertising and operating the STR.

7. What is the STR Application fee?

Hosted STR Permit Application - $500.00*

UnHosted STR Permit Application - $600.00*

Vacation STR Permit Application - $600.00*

* STR permits will be valid until the end of the calendar year (December 31^st). For the initial year, 2022, the permit application will be prorated to $167 (Hosted), $200 (Unhosted), $200 (Vacation), and $367 (Hosted and Unhosted). All hosts must renew their permit no later than January 31, 2023

8. When can I apply for an STR Permit?: Beginning September 6, 2022, applications will be available online to download, and in the Finance Department, located at One Manchester Blvd., 1^st Floor, Inglewood, CA 90301.

9. Can I use my backyard space or any of the curtilage of my dwelling as an STR for parties, gatherings, or events?: No. It is a violation to use the curtilage of a Dwelling, or any part of the residence, or property that is leased or rented to hold parties or gatherings of the type that hotel ballrooms or other event spaces are typically rented.

10. Does the City of Inglewood have an STR Ordinance?: Yes. On July 19, 2022, the Inglewood City Council adopted Ordinance No. 22-15, regulating the operations of STRs in the city.

11. I don’t agree with the denial of my application, can I appeal the decision?: Yes. You have 15 calendar days after the date of notice to appeal with the Permits & Licensing Committee.

12. What happens if I’m not approved for an STR permit but I have an active STR?: Stop operation of the STR, and pay the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) starting from January 1, 2022 to the current date. Operating an STR without a valid permit is a violation of the City of Inglewood Municipal Code that may result in fines up to $5000. Failure to comply with the City's STR regulations may prohibit an owner from obtaining a permit in the future.

13. Can I transfer my STR permit?: No. Permits are non-transferable.

14. How long will it take to obtain my STR permit?: Pursuant to Ordinance No. 22-15, staff has up to 60 days to process an STR application.

15. How long is my STR permit valid?: An STR permit expires at the end of each calendar year (December 31)

16. What properties are eligible for Hosted & Unhosted Short-Term Rentals?: The eligible property types are properties containing one (1) to four (4) units on a parcel that are owned by a natural person and is the owner’s primary residence.

17. How does a property qualify as a Vacation Rental?: The Vacation Rental must be within 1,000 feet of the property line of the owner’s Primary Residence.

18. Why are ADUs ineligible for Short-Term Rentals?: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are prohibited from operating as an STR to align the City’s policies with the intent of the State Government by encouraging the development and permitting of ADUs to address the housing stock shortage. ADUs will remain a means to maintain an option for affordable housing stock.

19. How often will I be required to have an STR inspection?: STR inspections are conducted biannually (twice a year).

20. I am a tenant. Can I operate an STR in my unit?: No. Renters are not allowed to operate an STR.

21. As part of a hosted STR, can I rent out several rooms separately?: No. You may only have one booking at a time.

22. Is there an insurance requirement for STRs?: Yes. The owner is required to have a minimum of $500,000.

23. Are there City requirements on advertisements with the various platforms?

Yes, the requirements are as follows:

The City-issued Permit number must be posted on all advertisements.
Short Term Rental Host Platforms shall remove any improper listings within five calendar days of the City’s notification.
Short Term Rental Host Platforms shall not collect or receive a fee, directly or indirectly through an agent or intermediary, for facilitating or providing services ancillary to an unregistered Short Term Rental or Vacation Rental.

24. What type of payments are accepted?: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Money Orders, and Cashier’s Checks.

25. The STR is in a Permit Parking District, can the Host obtain permits for Guest permit parking?: The host can obtain 1 (one) Parking Permit by contacting the Parking Enforcement Department at 310-412-5398.

26. Who can I call with public nuisance complaints related to an STR?: The 24-hour STR Compliance Hot Line is 310-861-2068. This number should be used to report non-emergency nuisance problems related to STRs, such as noise, parking, and trash-related issues. Unpermitted STR rentals can also be reported by using the STR compliance Hot Line. Reporting can be done anonymously.

27. What are Transient Occupancy Taxes?: The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), commonly known as a “hotel tax” or “bed tax”, is charged to transient guests in hotels/motels, including properties rented through home-sharing services like Airbnb.

28. What is the definition of transient?: For the purposes of Short Term Rentals, a transient is any person who resides in a short-term rental for thirty calendar days or less.

29. I have been operating a Short Term Rental for years. Am I required to pay the TOT for those years? And when is the payment due?

The City Council is only requiring that TOT be remitted for all rental activity of 30 days or less operating from January 1, 2022 to the current date.

To timely file the TOT Report, payment(s) must be received by the City or postmarked before the last day of the month following the previous month’s activity.

Reporting Period	Due Date	Delinquent On
January	February 1-28	March 1
February	March 1-31	April 1
March	April 1-30	May 1
April	May 1-31	June 1
May	June 1-30	July 1
June	July 1-31	August 1
July	August 1-31	September 1
August	September 1-30	October 1
September	October 1-31	November 1
October	November 1-30	December 1
November	December 1-31	January 1
December	January 1-31	February 1

30. How do I know the amount of money I earned for operating an STR?: Host will be able to access their gross TOT earnings through the Hosting Platforms. Upon making or submitting a payment, a copy of the Earnings Statement will be required.

31. Who Is Responsible for Paying the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)?: Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) shall be paid by all Short Term Rental operators. If a Short Term Rental Host Platform does not receive payment for the rental, Short Term Rental Hosts are solely responsible for collecting all applicable TOT and remittance of the collected tax to the City. If a Short Term Rental Host Platform does collect payment for rentals, then it and the Short Term Rental operator shall have legal responsibility for the TOT’s collection and remittance.

32. Has the City Council adopted a permanent ordinance? Where can I review a copy of the ordinance?

Ordinance No. 22-15 was adopted by the Inglewood City Council on July 19, 2022. A copy of the report and the Ordinance is available online at:

https://www.cityofinglewood.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/13628?fileID=17099

33. I wasn’t aware of the TOT requirements, but I have been advertising and renting out my place as a Short Term Rental. What should I do?: If you rented your property in the City of Inglewood to a guest(s) who stayed 30 days or less, you are liable for past taxes. Not being aware of the TOT requirements does not relieve the Host/Owner of the obligation to collect and remit TOT. Complete and submit the TOT Assessment Form along with the Statement of Earnings (https://www.cityofinglewood.org/1638/Short-Term-Rentals) with the associated payment to the City of Inglewood Finance Department, located at One West Manchester Blvd., 1^st Floor, Inglewood, CA 90301. You may also contact the Housing Protection Short Term Rental Program to enter into a payment plan agreement.

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