Gardena, California Short-Term Rental Market
Gardena, CA STR market data shows $208/night ADR at 67.5% occupancy in April 2026, but city rules prohibit whole-home rentals.
Quick Answer: Gardena, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 73%. average monthly revenue is $4,987. average daily rate is $262. the top operator is Blueground with 584 listings. market score is 46/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Los Angeles regional market, which includes Gardena. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Gardena.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Gardena is a residential city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, with a population of approximately 60,207. The STR market data for this area reflects a broader Los Angeles metro dataset: approximately 49,328 total listings are represented, with 39,545 entire-place, 9,453 private rooms, and 330 shared rooms. As of April 2026, the data shows an average daily rate of $208.40 and occupancy of 67.5%, producing a RevPAR of $140.65 and average monthly revenue of $3,822.
Year-over-year, occupancy improved 1.2 percentage points while ADR declined 5.5%, with net monthly revenue growth of 1.5%. The large listing count and the strong seasonality score (96.6) reflect the Los Angeles metro’s year-round demand profile rather than Gardena-specific tourism.
Bedroom distribution is heavily weighted toward 1BR (26,463 listings), with 2BR at 10,942, 3BR at 6,505, 4BR at 3,357, and 5BR at 1,949. Channel distribution is dominated by Airbnb: 35,537 listings are Airbnb-only, 12,108 appear on both platforms, and 1,683 are VRBO-only. The low market total score (45.8) and investability score (46.5) reflect the regulatory environment, which is discussed in the regulatory summary. Investors should read that section before drawing any conclusions from the market metrics above.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61% | $167 | $2,828 |
| Feb | 70% | $177 | $3,049 |
| Mar | 69% | $188 | $3,596 |
| Apr | 66% | $185 | $3,327 |
| May | 68% | $191 | $3,475 |
| Jun | 73% | $215 | $4,019 |
| Jul | 74% | $210 | $4,131 |
| Aug | 70% | $211 | $3,989 |
| Sep | 65% | $184 | $3,253 |
| Oct | 68% | $181 | $3,344 |
| Nov | 63% | $180 | $3,065 |
| Dec | 63% | $188 | $3,209 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Gardena
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blueground | 584 | 738 | ★ 4.30 |
| 2 | The Maimon Group | 216 | 996 | ★ 4.67 |
| 3 | Evolve | 177 | 5,293 | ★ 4.43 |
| 4 | Zuma Housing | 150 | 30 | ★ 4.77 |
| 5 | Catalina Vacations | 143 | 5,161 | ★ 4.49 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Gardena?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 26,463 |
| 2 bed | 10,942 |
| 3 bed | 6,505 |
| 4 bed | 3,357 |
| 5 bed | 1,949 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $308 |
| Luxury | $585 |
| Professionally Managed | $411 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $4,283 |
| Entire Place | $5,796 |
| House | $5,514 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 72% |
| vrbo | 3.4% |
| both | 24.5% |
Investment Analysis
Gardena presents a legally constrained STR opportunity. The city explicitly prohibits whole-home or entire-place short-term rentals. Only host-present home sharing is permitted: a host must rent rooms within their own primary residence (occupied at least 183 nights per year), while the host remains on-site for each guest stay. This is not a model compatible with traditional STR investment properties.
The city caps Home-Sharing Permits at 100 for the first five-year period (which began April 15, 2024), allocated via a January-to-February application window and a lottery if oversubscribed. No housing valuation data was available in the current snapshot, so an acquisition cost or yield analysis cannot be constructed.
For investors specifically focused on the greater Los Angeles South Bay area, adjacent cities with less restrictive STR frameworks may be worth evaluating separately. The broader metro data (67.5% occupancy, $208.40 ADR) reflects LA-wide performance and cannot be applied to Gardena’s single-room home-sharing model. The market scores signal regulatory drag (59.3 regulation score, 45.8 total score, 46.5 investability), consistent with a restrictive local framework.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The broader Los Angeles metro dataset shows an average booking lead time of 32.2 days, a relatively short window for a high-demand metro. The average length of stay is 5.8 nights, significantly above the national average, reflecting the LA market’s mix of extended business stays, entertainment industry accommodations, and longer leisure visits.
The 5.8-night average length of stay has important implications for any permitted home-sharing operator in Gardena: longer stays mean lower turnover frequency, which reduces cleaning costs relative to weekend-flip markets. However, the host-present requirement means the host must be home throughout each 5-6 night stay. This operational constraint significantly limits scalability.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Gardena prohibits traditional short-term rentals in which an operator rents out an entire home or unit without being present. The only permissible STR model is host-present ‘home sharing’: the host must rent rooms within their own primary residence (occupied 183 or more nights per year), remain on the property during each guest stay, and limit each guest stay to 30 consecutive days or fewer.
Operators must hold both a City of Gardena business license and a Home-Sharing Permit under Municipal Code Chapter 5.76. The permit fee is $1,337. The program is capped at 100 permits per five-year permit period; the first five-year period began April 15, 2024, with applications accepted January 1 through February 15 each year and allocated via lottery if oversubscribed. Home sharing is allowed only in R-1 (single-family) and R-2 (low-density) zoning districts and is prohibited in Specific Plan areas and on properties with accessory dwelling units.
A transient occupancy tax of 11% applies to all stays of 30 days or fewer. Enforcement is rated strict: three final administrative violations trigger automatic permit revocation, three sustained complaints within 12 months result in permanent permit prohibition, and application fraud can result in permanent ban. Ordinance 1854 establishing this framework was adopted September 12, 2023; administrative guidelines took effect April 18, 2024.
For purposes of STR investment analysis, Gardena is effectively closed to non-owner-occupied STR models.
Market Comparison
The broader Los Angeles market data shows April 2026 occupancy of 67.5%, well above the US short-term rental median of approximately 55%. The ADR of $208.40 is below the national median of roughly $220, which likely reflects the high proportion of smaller private-room and apartment listings in the LA dataset pulling the average down.
Among property managers in the dataset, Blueground leads with 584 listings and a 4.302 average rating across 738 reviews. The Maimon Group operates 216 listings (4.666 rating, 996 reviews). Evolve holds 177 listings with 5,293 reviews at 4.434. Zuma Housing manages 150 listings (4.768 rating, 30 reviews). Catalina Vacations rounds out the top 5 with 143 listings and 5,161 reviews at 4.488. The top 5 operators collectively manage 1,270 listings, approximately 2.6% of total dataset supply. Note that Blueground is primarily a furnished mid-term rental operator (30+ day stays), and its presence at the top reflects the LA metro’s substantial mid-term housing demand, which is distinct from traditional short-term vacation rental operations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gardena, California
Are short-term rentals allowed in Gardena, CA?
How do I get a home-sharing permit in Gardena?
What occupancy rate does the Gardena area STR market show?
What is the transient occupancy tax in Gardena?
What happens if a Gardena home-sharing permit holder gets three violations?
How far in advance do guests book in this market, and how long do they stay?
What were the largest STR property managers in this market?
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