If you’re buying a Beverly Hills home with plans to rent it for a few months, or considering a shorter lease for a property you own, the answer is generally no. Ordinance No. 25-O-2918 prohibits residential rentals of less than 12 consecutive months, subject to stated exceptions.
The initial lease needs to be at least one year. After that, the ordinance allows it to become month-to-month. A lawsuit and a separate proposal involving One Beverly Hills are reasons to check the latest status, but neither is a basis for assuming your home has a shorter rental option.
What does the one-year rule cover?
The rule covers rentals of less than 12 consecutive months in any residential zone, including accessory dwelling units and accessory features such as pools or tennis courts.
The City of Beverly Hills adopted Ordinance No. 25-O-2918 on a 4 to 1 vote. Its official adoption notice describes the prohibition and the minimum initial lease term. The Beverly Hills Municipal Code calls these uses “single-family and multifamily transient uses.”
That wording matters if you associate a short-term rental with a stay measured in nights. Here, a rental can last several months and still fall below the city’s threshold.
The state CEQAnet filing, SCH Number 2025100567, lists the location as citywide, across all single-family and multifamily residential zones. Start with that citywide scope when checking a particular property.
Can the lease become month-to-month later?
Yes, the ordinance allows a month-to-month lease after the minimum initial lease term of one year.
The initial commitment and what happens afterward are separate parts of the rule. The adoption notice states that the one-year minimum applies to the rental, lease or sublease of units in single-family residential zones and multifamily units. It then allows a return to a month-to-month arrangement thereafter.
If you’re weighing a shorter initial commitment against a full year, that distinction answers the immediate question: the later monthly option doesn’t shorten the initial term.
The notice doesn’t address whether existing leases were grandfathered. If you have a lease already in place, ask Beverly Hills planning how the ordinance applies to that document rather than assuming the notice settles it.
How does this affect an ADU or guest house plan?
An ADU is expressly covered by the prohibition, while a proposed guest house rental is a question to take to Beverly Hills planning with the specific rental arrangement.
Don’t treat a separate space as an automatic exception. The adoption notice names ADUs and even accessory features such as pools or tennis courts. If renting part of a property is central to your purchase, ask how the one-year initial term applies before building your plan around a shorter stay. The ADU rules guide provides a separate place to consider ADU questions.
P. had expected to rent his Beverly Hills home for six months while he worked elsewhere. “It’s not a vacation rental,” he said. “Someone would actually live there.” The distinction felt reasonable to him, but it did not answer the lease-length question. A one-year minimum can affect an ordinary furnished lease even when the arrangement does not resemble a weekend rental. He paused the listing until he could confirm what the city permits, because changing the dates after accepting a tenant would have created a much harder problem.
Are there exceptions or older rules to distinguish?
Yes, the notice states exceptions for in-home caregiving and housing separately regulated under state law, and the older rental thresholds differ from the current rule.
The listed state-regulated housing categories are transitional housing, emergency shelters, congregate care facilities and supportive housing. If you think a proposed use falls within an exception, ask planning how it applies to that use.
Older material can also lead you to the wrong lease length. The earlier thresholds were 30 days for multifamily units and six months for single-family homes. Ordinance No. 25-O-2918 replaced those thresholds with 12 consecutive months.
The earlier ordinance text supplies that historical context. Other cities handle this differently, as the Vista short-term rental guide explains. Neither an older Beverly Hills threshold nor another city’s rule answers the current Beverly Hills question.
Does the federal lawsuit change your rental options?
The ordinance remains the rule unless a court says otherwise; no ruling was found as of October 27, 2026.
The Beverly Hills Courier reported that the Beverly Hills Vacation Rental Alliance filed a lawsuit on August 31, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The suit alleges that the ordinance violates the U.S. and California Constitutions and California law.
Those are allegations, and the outcome is unknown. The filing itself doesn’t establish a different minimum lease term.
Before relying on a rental plan, check the status of the federal case in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, or ask the City whether a court ruling has changed how the ordinance applies. That status check is especially relevant if you’re reading about the lawsuit after the date above.
Did One Beverly Hills receive a short-term rental exception?
No ordinance was adopted through the reported October 20, 2026 council action; staff were directed to draft changes for One Beverly Hills.
The Courier’s October 22 report says the council unanimously directed staff to draft an ordinance amending the project’s overlay specific plan and development agreement.
The request had reached the council after the Planning Commission split 2 to 2, according to the earlier Courier report.
The status is staff drafting. If adopted, the proposed changes would concern that project. They don’t change the citywide rule for other homes, and the reported action doesn’t establish that One Beverly Hills condominiums can now be rented short term.
Where can you check the rule for your property?
You can ask Beverly Hills planning about your proposed use and review the full ordinance at the Office of the City Clerk.
The planning contact listed in CEQAnet is at 455 N. Rexford Drive, with phone number (310) 285-1194. Ask how the ordinance applies to the space, initial lease term and rental arrangement you’re considering.
The adoption notice says a certified copy of the full ordinance is available during normal business hours at the Office of the City Clerk, 455 N. Rexford Drive, Second Floor, Beverly Hills.
The notice also describes a penalty fee structure and additional enforcement mechanisms, but gives no penalty amounts. The full ordinance text, including the penalty provisions, is available from the Office of the City Clerk. Beverly Hills’ SB 79 alternative plan is a separate land-use topic.
The short version
Beverly Hills requires a minimum initial residential lease of one year, with month-to-month leasing allowed afterward.
The prohibition covers rentals of less than 12 consecutive months across residential zones and expressly includes ADUs. Check with planning about the stated exceptions, a guest house arrangement, an existing lease or any later court action. The One Beverly Hills proposal doesn’t change the rule for other homes.
This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.
If you’re also considering a sale, explore the home value tool.
Common questions
Can you rent a Beverly Hills home for six months?
Ordinance No. 25-O-2918 prohibits rentals of less than 12 consecutive months in any residential zone, with exceptions for in-home caregiving and housing separately regulated under state law.
Does the one-year minimum cover an ADU?
Yes. The prohibition expressly includes accessory dwelling units, along with accessory features such as pools or tennis courts.
Can a lease become month-to-month after the first year?
Yes. The ordinance requires a minimum initial lease term of one year and allows a month-to-month lease thereafter.
Has the lawsuit overturned the rental rule?
No ruling was found as of October 27, 2026. The ordinance remains the rule unless a court says otherwise. Check the status of the federal case in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, or ask the City.
Did the council approve short-term rentals at One Beverly Hills?
No ordinance was adopted through the reported October 20, 2026 action. The council directed staff to draft changes concerning that project.
