Investment Property Loans in Long Beach, CA

Long Beach issues two short-term rental registrations, primary residence and non-primary, and one person may hold one of each; un-hosted stays under a primary-residence registration are limited to 90 days per registration year.

For investors: An owner who lives in one Long Beach home can register it as a primary residence and still hold a separate non-primary registration on a second property. One of each type is the limit, so a house hack plus one guest-stay investment home is the most one person can register.

Source: City of Long Beach, Short-Term Rentals, Oct 2026

Long Beach counts a home as a primary residence only if the host lives there 275 days a year; non-primary registrations allow unlimited un-hosted stays but are capped at 800 citywide.

For investors: A second-home buyer who splits the year elsewhere cannot use the primary category. Before closing on a Long Beach purchase meant for guest income, confirm a non-primary slot is open; if the cap is full, underwrite the home as a long-term rental.

Source: City of Long Beach, Short-Term Rentals, Oct 2026

Accessory dwelling units cannot be used as short-term rentals in Long Beach, and a property with 1 to 10 qualified units may register only one unit, rising to 10% of units at 11 to 50.

For investors: On a Long Beach fourplex only one unit can be registered for guest stays, so underwrite the other three on long-term rents. Building an ADU to host travelers does not work here either, because ADUs are excluded and do not count toward the unit total.

Source: City of Long Beach, Short-Term Rentals, Oct 2026

Long Beach charges a $545 review fee for a one-year short-term rental registration, requires a city inspection and a one-hour response contact, and caps guests at two per bedroom plus two, eight maximum.

For investors: The fee is paid before review and is not refunded once the application has been reviewed, so clear safety items before applying. The guest cap also limits revenue on large homes: a five-bedroom Long Beach house still tops out at eight guests.

Source: City of Long Beach, Short-Term Rentals, Oct 2026

Long Beach collects a 13% transient occupancy tax on short-term rental stays, reported and paid monthly by the 10th of the following month, with late penalties of 25% that rise to 50%.

For investors: Monthly filing means a Long Beach host handles twelve returns a year through the city portal. Set aside 13% of each booking and calendar the 10th, because a month left unpaid draws a 25% penalty and then a further 50%.

Source: City of Long Beach, Short-Term Rentals, Oct 2026

Long Beach runs a Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program under Municipal Code 18.30.120, which authorizes periodic city inspections of residential rental properties for building, housing and sanitation code compliance.

For investors: Ask a Long Beach seller for past inspection notices and any open code enforcement case before removing contingencies. The city says enforcement can stall when tenants miss two inspection appointments, so coordinate entry through the property manager.

Source: City of Long Beach, Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program, Oct 2026

Long Beach's Just Cause ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 8.99, protects tenants after 12 months of occupancy but exempts housing built within 15 years and single-family homes or condos owned by a natural person.

For investors: How title vests matters in Long Beach: a house held by an individual falls outside the city ordinance, while the same house held by an entity may be covered. Check vesting plans and the building's age before counting on a no-fault move-out.

Source: City of Long Beach Community Development, Tenant and Landlord Resources, Oct 2026

Long Beach no-fault terminations require relocation of one month's rent, or for demolition or substantial remodel $4,500 or two months' rent, whichever is greater, paid within 15 calendar days of the notice.

For investors: A value-add buyer planning to gut an occupied Long Beach unit should budget at least $4,500 per household. The city says a notice that misses any step of the ordinance is void, so a sloppy notice can restart the timeline.

Source: City of Long Beach Community Development, Tenant and Landlord Resources, Oct 2026

Long Beach is not among the five Los Angeles County cities that add their own transfer tax, so a sale there pays only the county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000.

For investors: On a $1,200,000 Long Beach fourplex the transfer tax is about $1,320, against $6,720 at the same price inside the City of Los Angeles. That gap is worth noting when comparing closing costs between the two neighboring cities.

Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Documentary Transfer Taxes, Oct 2026

FEMA's revised coastal flood maps for Los Angeles County took effect April 21, 2021, and Long Beach was one of the cities sent final determinations under the Open Pacific Coast study.

For investors: A waterfront or low-lying Long Beach listing may have changed flood zone in 2021, which can bring required flood insurance on a financed purchase. Pull the current FEMA panel for the parcel before setting the insurance line in the budget.

Source: Los Angeles County Public Works, Open Pacific Coast FIRM Revision, Oct 2026

Long Beach Utilities, created after a November 2022 charter vote, delivers drinking water, natural gas and sewer service to nearly 500,000 residents and businesses, including gas to neighboring Signal Hill.

For investors: Gas, water and sewer come from one city department, so a Long Beach landlord who keeps services in the owner's name deals with a single utility for all three. Ask the seller for twelve months of bills to check the expenses used in underwriting.

Source: Long Beach Utilities, About Us, Oct 2026

California State University, Long Beach, on a 322-acre campus, projects enrollment of more than 41,000 students for fall 2026.

For investors: A campus that size feeds steady demand for shared houses and small units nearby. Student leases tend to turn over each summer, so budget a vacancy and make-ready allowance when underwriting a Long Beach rental aimed at students.

Source: California State University, Long Beach, About, Oct 2026