business license

Suzanne67
Level 2
West Hollywood, CA

business license

Do hosts in Los Angeles need business licenses for doing Airbnb with rooms in houses they live in? 

12 Replies 12
Mike77
Level 10
Bend, OR

Contact the city that you live in and ask them.

 

Mike
AirBnB Treehouse for Rent
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7292887

 

 

Coming here to ask cause can't interpret the bureaucratic gobbledegook in the rules that can be looked up.

Good luck with that.  

 

Maybe contact one of the other AirBnB hosts that live in your city and ask them?

 

Each city is going to have their own set of rules.  I am outside of the city and have to follow the county rules.

 

Mike
AirBnB Treehouse for Rent
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7292887

 

 

@Suzanne67, take a look at all discussion rooms, then pick Taxes and Regulations. Search in that group about LA regulations, there were hosts who asked similar questions. You'll find the answer there easier. 

Close but no cigar as they say. Actually not even close. Nothing for LA. Sends me back where I started to ask the community. How do we deal with these things? Am surpirsed rhe company doesn't handle basic regulations. These aren't casual matters of opinion but things that are in the official world that can be trouble for us if we don't comply.

Well, actually airbnb posted a brief article about LA https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/864/los-angeles--ca.  But there are hosts all over the world who are responsible for compliance with local regulations that airbnb simply cannot keep track of all regulations. 

 

It seems the question about short-term rentals in LA is still unsettled, but you should reserch more. 

 

Another thing you can do is asking on the regulations page in the LA thread the same question. You will get the attention of local hosts. I don't think you did the search correctly, because I see lots of threads discussing LA regulations. This one is just one of many. 

 

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Local-Regulations-Taxes/Los-Angeles-Airbnb-regulations/m-p/97661/hig...

 

 

Municipal code section in that first link is a typo. It's actually 1203 not 1230. I learned this the hard way.

K-C-0
Level 2
Los Angeles, CA

It's an interesting question considering that you're in West Hollywood.  As I understand it, the recent change in LA applies to the City of LA.  I wonder if that flows down to WeHo.

 

In any event, if you are subject to the new L.A. Occupancy Tax situation, my understanding has been that even though short-term renting remains technically illegal in most circumstances, a business license (somewhat misleadingly named "City of Los Angeles Tax Registration Certificate") is required.  From the fine print on the back of the license card: "This business tax registration certificate ... signifies that the person naemd on the face hereof has fulfilled the requirements to collect[] ... from transients the Transient Occupancy Tax."  Remember that even though Airbnb will be collecting and remitting the Occupancy Tax, they are doing it *on YOUR behalf*.

While I don't live in LA but in the SF Bay Area, I wonder if anyone has experience with the building inspection and compliance that comes with applying for a business license? In my city-Richmond, CA- applying for a business license comes with a building inspection (for a fee off course) to see check on compliance. It's like opening can of worms and I'm worried that I need to do all kind of retrofitting etc. to be "compliant". Does anyone have experience with that?
Gayle9
Level 2
Los Angeles, CA
Wendy-and-Sol0
Level 3
Los Angeles, CA

@Suzanne67:

 

I know its been awhile since you posted the question but incase you are still looking for the answer:

 

For Los Angeles you need to apply for: http://finance.lacity.org/form/TaxRegistrationV4.pdf

 

As of August 1, 2016, Airbnb will now be charging guests the TOT directly and Airbnb will submit the TOT on your behalf for each guest. Hope this helps.

 

 

Rebecca1007
Level 1
Los Angeles, CA

not sure if I want a business license...what are the tax implications?  Isn't this a complicated affair?  Yikes.