ORDINANCE NO. 26-0001
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MANHATTAN BEACH ALLOWING SHORT-TERM RENTALS ON A TEMPORARY BASIS DURING THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP
RECITALS
A. Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Chapter 4.88 prohibits transient uses including short-term rentals, outside of the City’s Coastal Zone.
B. On September 16, 2025, and December 16, 2025, the Manhattan Beach City Council considered several preparation and participation strategies for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic/Paralympics Games, including making potential temporary changes to the City’s short-term rental policies to accommodate the influx of visitors, and to establish operational standards to minimize impacts to neighbors and the community. After receiving considerable public input, the City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance to temporarily allow short-term rentals in parts of the City in addition to properties inside the Coastal Zone during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
C. On January 20, 2026, the City Council held a duly noticed public meeting to consider the ordinance.
D. The City has reviewed the proposed ordinance for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that it is Categorically Exempt under Section 15301 (Class 1, Existing Facilities) of the State CEQA Guidelines.
NOW THEREFORE, THE MANHATTAN BEACH CITY COUNCIL HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Chapter 4.88, and any prohibitions contained therein:
Short-Term Rentals Allowed for Limited Time Period. Subject to the maximum caps in Subsection C, any person may rent a residential dwelling unit, or a room in a dwelling, on a property outside of the City’s Coastal Zone, for occupancy for less than 30 days within the six-week period commencing on June 5, 2026 and ending on July 17, 2026.
B. Prohibited Structures or Facilities. The following types of structures or facilities shall not be rented as a short-term rental:
i. Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units ii. Recreational vehicles
iii. Guest houses (or Accessory living quarters)
iv. Structures not built for habitable use
v. Units within any residential structure that has utilized Density Bonus Law.
C. Maximum Number of Licenses. The total number of licenses issued for short-term rentals pursuant to this Ordinance shall not exceed 450 issued on a first-come, first-serve basis, subject to the following maximum allocations within each Area District: 157 in Area District 1, 247 in Area District 2, and 46 in Area District 3.
D. License Requirements
1. An applicant shall provide proof of ownership of the residence and shall not be a lessee or a sub-lessee.
2. There shall only be one short-term rental license issued per property.
3. The dwelling unit or property used as a short-term rental shall not be subject of any active or pending code enforcement actions or violations, including, but not limited to, zoning, building, and fire codes.
E. Operational requirements.
1. All marketing and advertising of short-term rentals, including any listing on a hosting platform, shall clearly list the City-issued business license number and include the following information:
i. Maximum occupancy allowed, as set forth herein.
ii. The number of bedrooms.
iii. Maximum number of vehicles allowed
iv. Photo of the front of the short-term rental
v. Marketing and advertising of short-term rental units for which licenses are issued pursuant to this ordinance shall be permitted to commence after issuance of the required license, however such marketing and advertising information shall clearly state that the short-term rental unit is available for occupancy only during the period between June 5, 2026 and ending on July 17, 2026.
2. Maximum occupancy shall be limited to two persons per bedroom plus two more persons, up to a maximum of eight total persons per short-term rental. Calculation is inclusive of children regardless of age.
3. Prior to or during check-in and prior to occupancy of a short-term rental by the short-term tenants, the owner shall obtain from the short-term tenant a signed statement acknowledging the short-term tenant’s legal responsibility to comply with the operational requirements of this ordinance and all applicable codes regulating occupancy limits, noise, outdoor activities, public nuisance, parking, trash, prohibition of commercial activities and smoking, and other requirements related to the use and occupancy of the short-term rental.
4. The owner shall be available 24 hours per day as the local emergency contact and respond within 30 minutes for complaints regarding the condition and/or operation of the short-term rental premises, or the conduct of the occupants. 5 The short-term rental shall have a minimum of two on-site parking spaces available at all times utilizing either the garage and/or driveway for occupants of the short-term rental. STR tenants shall have no more vehicles than can be accommodated on-site.
6. Trash and refuse shall not be stored within public view, except in proper containers for the purpose of collection by the City’s authorized waste hauler on scheduled trash collection day(s). The owner of the short-term rental shall provide sufficient trash collection containers and service to meet the demand of the occupants.
7. Occupants of the short-term rental shall be prohibited from using all outdoor amenities (pool/spa/outdoor kitchen/etc.) and/or engaging in outdoor games or any outdoor activities that create noise disturbances as defined in Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 5.48.140 between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, weekend, or holiday. A sign identifying these restrictions must be clearly visible near any such outdoor amenities and posted on all interior doors leading to the outdoor amenities.
8. Commercial activities and special events, including but not limited to, weddings, receptions, parties and sales events are prohibited on the property used as a short-term rental.
9. Short-term rentals allowed by this Ordinance shall be subject to and comply with all requirements of the Uniform Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax as set forth in Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.20. The requirements to pay all applicable fees and taxes related to any short-term rental activity allowed by this Ordinance shall survive the expiration of this Ordinance.
F. Neighborhood Notification. The City shall notify the owners and occupants of properties within 100 feet of the short-term rental, using the last-known county assessor tax roll for owner information and address, when a license is issued. The notice shall include the local emergency contact information provided by the short-term rental licensee. A fee shall be assessed to the applicant to offset the costs of this mailing, as identified in the City’s Fee Schedule.
G. Hosting Platform Responsibilities. Subject to applicable laws, hosting platforms shall:
1. Disclose to the City on a regular basis, and when requested by the City, each residential property listing located in the City, the names of the persons responsible for each such listing, the address of each such listing, the length of stay for each such listing and the price paid for each stay.
2. Require owners to include the City-issued license registration number in their listing(s). Hosting platforms shall not complete any booking transaction for unlicensed short-term rentals in the City.
SECTION 2. Violation; Nuisance and Misdemeanor.
Any violation of this Ordinance is unlawful, is hereby declared a public nuisance, and constitutes a misdemeanor punishable as set forth in Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 1.04.010. At the discretion of the City Prosecutor, a violation of this Ordinance may be prosecuted as an infraction or misdemeanor. In any civil action brought pursuant to this Ordinance, a court of competent jurisdiction may award reasonable attorneys' fees and costs to the prevailing party. Pursuant to Municipal Code Chapter 1.06, the City may issue an administrative citation for any violation of this Ordinance. Such administrative remedy may be exercised in place of, or in addition to, any administrative, criminal, civil, or equitable remedy allowed by law. The amount of the fine associated with the administrative citation will be assessed at the amounts set forth in California Government Code Section 36900(d).
The City may issue and serve administrative subpoenas as necessary to obtain specific information regarding residential rental listings located in the City, including, but not limited to, the names of the persons responsible for each such listing, the address of each such listing, the length of stay for each such listing and the price paid for each stay. Any subpoena issued pursuant to this section shall not require the production of information sooner than 30 days from the date of service. A person that has been served with an administrative subpoena may seek judicial review during that thirty-day period.
SECTION 3. SAVINGS CLAUSE. The adoption of this Ordinance shall not constitute a waiver of any license, fee or penalty or the penal provisions applicable to any violation of the Municipal Code.
SECTION 4. CERTIFICATION. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause this Ordinance to be published within 15 days after its passage, in accordance with Section 36933 of the Government Code.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; EXPIRATION. This Ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force 30 days after its second reading, and sunset on July 17, 2026, after which time it shall become void and of no further force or effect.
ADOPTED on , 2026.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
DAVID LESSER
Mayor
ATTEST:
LIZA TAMURA
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
QUINN M. BARROW
City Attorney
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