​Malibu Short-Term Rental Ordinance To Take Effect This Month

MALIBU, CA — Malibu's new ordinance governing short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo units is set to take effect on Jan. 15.

Under the new ordinance, the owner of a rental property must submit a short-term rental permit application to the City of Malibu and pay a $294 application fee.

To apply, property owners must provide proof of ownership and, if applicable, an operating agreement. Applications can be completed online or by printing, completing, and returning a mail-in application form to the City of Malibu Short-Term Rental Permit Program at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, CA 90265. Payments can be made online using a credit card, or by mail using a check.

The city urges property owners to complete applications as quickly as possible as they can take up to 30 days to review.

The ordinance was approved by the Malibu city council in November. Now, all short-term rentals must register annually for a permit, which can be denied or revoked due to non-compliance. Hosts must also prove that their primary residence is in Malibu.

"It's giving us enforcement tools, and the most important enforcement tool that it gives us is the ability to shut down a bad actor, and we intend to use it aggressively as soon as we can starting Jan. 15," said City Attorney Christi Hogan.

The ordinance can be read in full online.