Alhambra, California Short-Term Rental Market
Alhambra/LA STRs averaged $208/night at 67.5% occupancy in April 2026 across 49,328 active listings.
Quick Answer: Alhambra, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 67%. average monthly revenue is $3,822. average daily rate is $208. the top operator is Blueground with 584 listings. market score is 46/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Los Angeles/Alhambra short-term rental market is one of the largest in the country by listing count. As of the latest snapshot, 49,328 active listings operate across the market area. In April 2026, the average daily rate was $208.40 and occupancy reached 67.5%, producing average monthly revenue of $3,822 per listing. RevPAR was $140.65.
Year-over-year, the market shows a modest bifurcation: occupancy improved 1.15 percentage points and revenue grew 1.5%, while ADR fell 5.5%. This pattern suggests the market is absorbing some rate pressure, with increased demand partially offsetting rate compression.
The listing mix is dominated by entire-place accommodations: 39,545 of 49,328 listings (80.2%) are entire-place, 9,453 are private rooms (19.2%), and 330 are shared rooms. The bedroom breakdown skews toward studios and 1-bedrooms: 1-bedroom listings lead with 26,463 (53.7% of all bedrooms), followed by 2-bedroom (10,942), 3-bedroom (6,505), 4-bedroom (3,357), and 5-bedroom (1,949). The channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 35,537 Airbnb-only listings, 12,108 on both platforms, and 1,683 VRBO-only.
Market scores reflect the tension of a high-demand, high-regulation environment: seasonality scores a near-perfect 96.6/100, rental demand scores 50.2/100, and the total score of 45.8/100 reflects regulation (59.3/100) and investability (46.5/100) headwinds against a backdrop of rising home prices.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61% | $167 | $2,826 |
| Feb | 70% | $177 | $3,049 |
| Mar | 70% | $188 | $3,596 |
| Apr | 66% | $185 | $3,327 |
| May | 68% | $187 | $3,392 |
| Jun | 73% | $209 | $3,898 |
| Jul | 74% | $210 | $4,128 |
| Aug | 70% | $211 | $3,986 |
| Sep | 65% | $184 | $3,251 |
| Oct | 68% | $181 | $3,340 |
| Nov | 63% | $180 | $3,063 |
| Dec | 63% | $188 | $3,207 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Alhambra
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 Alhambra?
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 | $242 |
| Luxury | $466 |
| Professionally Managed | $314 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,410 |
| Entire Place | $4,401 |
| House | $4,127 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 72% |
| vrbo | 3.4% |
| both | 24.5% |
Investment Analysis
At a typical home value of $940,493 (April 2026 Zillow estimate), the LA/Alhambra market presents a high-entry-cost environment. With average monthly STR revenue of $3,822 and annualized gross revenue of approximately $45,861, the gross STR yield on typical home value is approximately 4.9% before expenses. This is below the national STR yield norm for a high-performing market, reflecting how significantly elevated home prices suppress returns relative to revenue.
Tier analysis reveals where yield can be improved. Entire-home listings average $242.38/night versus $208.40 for all listings, a 16.3% premium. Professionally managed properties reach $314.19/night, a 50.8% premium over the all-listings average. Luxury-tier listings command $466.19/night, more than double the market-wide ADR.
By property type, entire-place listings generate $4,401/month average revenue, and houses average $4,127/month, both significantly above the $3,410/month apartment average.
The 2025 annual occupancy of 66.93% at $212 ADR translating to $3,914/month is strong in absolute terms, but investors must weigh the critical constraint: Alhambra has a hard citywide cap of 500 STR permits. Investors in the broader LA metro area should verify current permit availability with the relevant municipality before acquisition, as permit scarcity is the primary risk factor in this market. Median days to pending of 16 days signals a competitive resale market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
LA/Alhambra STR guests book an average of 32.2 days in advance and stay an average of 5.82 nights per reservation. The 32-day lead window is shorter than many suburban or regional markets, consistent with the impulsive and event-driven nature of LA travel, including entertainment industry visits, sports events, and international arrivals.
For operators, a 32-day lead window means last-minute discounts need to be deployed by the 2-week mark to avoid vacancy, but the market also has a meaningful volume of spontaneous bookings in the final 10 days before arrival. Dynamic pricing tools should be calibrated for aggressive near-term discounting after day 21.
The 5.82-night average stay is notably longer than the 3 to 4 night national average. This reflects the LA market attracting extended-stay visitors: film and production crews, corporate relocations, visiting international travelers who combine tourism with business, and travelers using LA as a West Coast hub. For operators, the longer stay reduces turnover frequency (roughly every 6 nights), which lowers cleaning costs per booked night and improves net margin. Minimum-stay settings of 3 to 5 nights are compatible with this guest profile.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Alhambra enacted its first STR ordinance in September 2024 (effective immediately), with permit applications opening March 3, 2025. The framework is among the more restrictive in the LA metro.
Key requirements: STR operation requires both a Short-Term Rental Permit (Municipal Code Section 5.92) and a Residential Business License. The business license fee is $395 (non-refundable), and a separate STR permit fee is charged upon approval. Permits are annual and must be renewed. There is a hard citywide cap of 500 permits, issued first-come, first-served.
Eligible property types: single-family homes, duplexes, condominiums, townhomes, and multi-family buildings with fewer than 5 units. Not eligible: ADUs, Junior ADUs, buildings with 5 or more units, industrially zoned properties, and properties with active code violations.
Only individual natural persons may hold a permit. LLCs and corporations are explicitly excluded. One permit per person is enforced. Owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements do not apply.
Operating rules: maximum occupancy is 2 guests per bedroom. Quiet hours run from 10pm to 7am daily. No exterior STR signage is permitted. Commercial events and parties are prohibited. The host or a designated local contact must be reachable 24/7 and respond to city complaints within 30 minutes.
The transient occupancy tax (TOT) is 12%. Enforcement is classified as strict, with fines escalating from $1,500 for a first violation.
No additional recent regulatory changes beyond the 2024 ordinance were identified as of the profile update date.
Market Comparison
At 67.5% occupancy, the LA/Alhambra market sits well above the US STR median of approximately 55%, ranking it among the top-tier occupancy markets nationally. Its ADR of $208.40 is slightly below the national median of approximately $220, reflecting the market’s heavy volume of lower-rate studio and 1-bedroom listings (53.7% of inventory) pulling the average down despite a robust luxury tier reaching $466/night.
The market’s total score of 45.8/100 reflects the fundamental tension of the LA STR market: exceptional rental demand and near-perfect seasonality (96.6/100) are counterbalanced by high entry costs, regulatory strictness, and investability scoring of 46.5/100.
Among operators, Blueground leads with 584 listings and a 4.30 rating. The Maimon Group follows with 216 listings and a 4.67 rating. Evolve holds 177 listings with 5,293 reviews at a 4.43 rating. The top three operators together represent 977 listings, just 2.0% of the 49,328-listing market. The market is heavily fragmented, with the vast majority of listings under independent management.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alhambra, California
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How many STR permits are available in Alhambra, California?
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