Los Angeles County HOA Guide
Rancho Palos Verdes HOA Guide: Landslide, View and City Rules
Rancho Palos Verdes has about 39,700 residents by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, and the bureau puts its owner-occupied rate at 80.4%. For many associations here the biggest local issue is the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, where the city has banned new homes and keeps renewing a local emergency.
This guide collects the city rules a Rancho Palos Verdes board runs into most often, and points you to the How2HOA guide that explains what to do about each one.
Local rules on this page were checked against the City of Rancho Palos Verdes website, city ordinances and staff reports, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Census Bureau on November 2, 2026. The city’s municipal code on Municode would not open, so code sections come from city pages and adopted ordinances rather than the code itself. The Legislature’s AB 1572 page would not open, so the turf date comes from the State Water Board. The landslide situation changes every few weeks, and we could not confirm the current gas and electric service status for each neighborhood in the landslide area. We also could not confirm whether the oversized vehicle rules have changed since the 2009 ordinance, or whether the city has changed its short-term rental rules since the steps its page describes. Confirm the current rule before you act on it. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
At a glance
HOAs in Rancho Palos Verdes at a glance
We did not find a city page that explains or lists homeowners associations. Associations do show up in city records: the Portuguese Bend Community Association, the Seaview Residents Association and a beach club HOA appear in the notes of the city’s landslide working group. A few facts shape how a board here works:
Because the city has no HOA office, your CC&Rs and state law are your main guides. City ordinances apply on top of them.
Local rules
Rules that apply in Rancho Palos Verdes
Three layers of rules apply to a Rancho Palos Verdes association. State law comes first, mainly the Davis-Stirling Act. City ordinances apply to every property, whether or not it is in an HOA. Your governing documents can then be stricter than the city in most areas, and state law limits them in a few. The city does not enforce your CC&Rs, and your CC&Rs do not excuse anyone from a city rule.
The landslide and the local emergencyNew homes and additions are banned in the landslide area, and the council renews the local emergency every 60 days.
The city calls the area the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex. Its February 2024 request for a state emergency maps slides within it including Flying Triangle, Klondike Canyon and Abalone Cove. The City Council first declared a local emergency on October 3, 2023, and city reports through October 2026 show it renewing the declarations every 60 days. The next renewal was set for the November 4, 2026 council meeting.
Roads, utilities and services are affected too. The city’s 2024 letter described broken water, sewer and gas lines and utility poles, and its June 2025 working group notes reported SoCalGas re-energization work under way in Seaview. We could not confirm the current status of gas and electric service in each neighborhood, so ask the utilities directly. The city is also working with FEMA on a voluntary buyout of 27 pre-selected properties, and a December 1, 2026 hearing is set on an appeal of a Director’s Determination under chapter 15.20.
A city report from August 2026 notes that land movement damage is not usually covered by most homeowners insurance policies, and the council was set to consider asking state leaders for basic landslide insurance.
What to do about it: if your community is in or near the landslide area, check every planned project against chapter 15.20 before you spend money, and read Who Pays for Repairs in an HOA? to sort out what the association owns. For coverage, see California HOA insurance requirements and Rising HOA Insurance Costs in California and the FAIR Plan. Build damage risk into your reserve study.
View restoration and preservationNeighbors can ask the city to order trimming of trees taller than 16 feet or the roofline.
The city’s view ordinance came from a ballot measure voters approved on November 7, 1989, and it is in Municipal Code section 17.02.040. It covers foliage that exceeds 16 feet or the roofline of the foliage owner’s home and significantly impairs a view from a “viewing area.” Protected views include near views on the peninsula and far views such as the ocean, the Los Angeles basin, city lights at night and the harbor.
- View restoration: the neighbor sends a certified letter first, then asks the city for mediation. If that fails, a formal application goes to a Planning Commission hearing. The city lists a non-refundable fee of $5,259.
- Who pays: if approved, the applicant pays for the first trimming or removal, and the foliage owner pays for all later trimming.
- View preservation: if photos show the view was unobstructed on or after November 17, 1989, staff can ask the foliage owner to trim within 30 days, and a permit can then require trimming within 90 days.
- City trees: a City Tree Review Permit covers city-owned trees that block views.
The city’s pages do not mention CC&Rs, and its guidelines say foliage on Miraleste Recreation and Parks District property is not subject to the View Restoration Permit process. Ask View Restoration staff at 310-544-5288 how the process applies to association-owned trees.
What to do about it: How to Hire a Contractor for Your Homeowners Association covers what to require of a tree service, and Planning Your HOA Budget helps you budget recurring trimming. For neighbor and owner disputes, see California HOA enforcement, fines and disputes.
Short-term rentalsProhibited in residential zones, with fines starting at $2,500.
The city treats a short-term rental as a residential rental of less than 30 consecutive days. On September 20, 2016 the City Council affirmed that they are prohibited in single-family residential zones, because the Development Code is permissive and does not list them as a permitted use. Ordinance 592U (December 20, 2016) and Ordinance 593 (January 17, 2017) confirmed the ban, covered multi-family zones and banned advertising.
The city lists fines of $2,500 for a first citation, $5,000 for a second and $7,500 for a third. The page does not mention HOAs. Your CC&Rs can add their own rental rules, but they cannot make a short-term rental legal where the city bans it.
What to do about it: How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community walks through writing and enforcing a rental rule. For longer leases, see Renting Out Your Home in a Homeowners Association. For the California rules, see our guide to buying, selling and renting in a California HOA.
Fire hazard mapA new state-based map took effect January 1, 2026 and removed much of the city from the Very High zone.
The City Council adopted Ordinance 691 on July 1, 2025. It replaces Municipal Code section 8.08.060 and adopts CAL FIRE’s 2025 recommended map, with Very High, High and Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones. It took effect at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2026.
Before the vote, the city said the update “removes significant portions of the City from the Very High designation,” which had covered virtually all of Rancho Palos Verdes since 2008. The pages we read do not say which neighborhoods stayed Very High, so check your parcels on the city’s map before you plan landscape or roof work.
What to do about it: Wildfire Defensible Space for Foothill HOAs and How to Minimize Homeowners Association Liability. For coverage, see Rising HOA Insurance Costs in California and the FAIR Plan.
Oversized vehicle parkingOversized vehicles cannot park on city streets from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. without a permit.
Ordinance 492 (2009) added chapter 10.36 to the city code. It is the most recent version we could open:
The city’s FAQ also describes a neighborhood permit parking program for streets with parking problems. We did not find a city page on private streets, so check with the city before you rely on city rules inside a gated community.
What to do about it: How to Set Up a Towing Service in Your Homeowners Association and HOA Rules and Enforcing Violations. For the state rules on enforcement, fines and hearings, see California HOA enforcement, fines and disputes.
Construction hours7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with none on Sundays.
Development Code section 17.56.020(B) allows construction, grading, landscaping and heavy equipment from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. No such work is allowed on Sundays or on ten listed holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Work outside those hours needs a Special Construction Permit approved by the Community Development Director, requested at least 48 hours ahead. The rule covers landscaping, so it applies to your landscape contractor too.
What to do about it: Managing Outside Vendors for Your HOA.
Is this a lot for a volunteer board to track?
City rules, state law and your own documents all change, and someone has to keep up. If your Rancho Palos Verdes board is deciding between managing itself and hiring help, start with Self-Managed vs. Professional HOA Management, or tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsQuick answers
Questions Rancho Palos Verdes board members ask
Can owners in the landslide area add on to their homes?
No. Since September 18, 2025 new homes and additions are permanently banned in the landslide regulation area. Owners can replace, restore and repair existing development within its footprint with a Landslide Exception Permit.
Is the landslide emergency still in effect?
City reports show the council renewing the local emergency declarations every 60 days, most recently scheduled for November 4, 2026. Check the latest council agenda.
Are short-term rentals legal in Rancho Palos Verdes?
No. Rentals of less than 30 consecutive days are prohibited in residential zones, and advertising them is banned too. See How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community.
Can a neighbor make our association trim common-area trees for a view?
The city’s view process applies to the owner of the foliage, and its pages do not mention HOAs. Ask View Restoration staff at 310-544-5288 how it applies to your trees.
Is our community still in a Very High fire zone?
Maybe not. The 2025 map took effect January 1, 2026 and removed significant portions of the city from the Very High designation. Check your parcels on the city’s map.
When must we stop using drinking water on common-area turf?
The State Water Board says January 1, 2029 for nonfunctional turf in HOA common areas under AB 1572. Plan the cost with the Annual HOA Budget Checklist.
Calendar
A Rancho Palos Verdes board’s year
The 2029 turf date comes from the State Water Board, and the council renewal schedule comes from city reports. The other items are general good practice, not legal requirements.
Keep the year on track: use the Board Meeting Checklist and the Annual HOA Budget Checklist.
Who to call
Rancho Palos Verdes contacts for HOA boards
| Office | Phone | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| City main line | 310-544-5200 | General questions, landslide rules, short-term rentals and construction permits |
| View Restoration | 310-544-5288 | View restoration and preservation, city tree view requests |
Keep going
Where to go next on How2HOA
Sources for this guide
These sources open in a new tab.
City of Rancho Palos Verdes: Landslide Area Development Regulations; Portuguese Bend; Request for State of Emergency (February 2024); Landslide Complex Working Group notes, June 11, 2025; Administrative Report 26-34 (August 26, 2026); Administrative Report 26-41 (October 14, 2026); Administrative Report 26-43 (October 28, 2026); View Restoration; View Restoration and Preservation Guidelines; Short-Term Rentals; Ordinance 691 (fire hazard severity zones); Fire Hazard Severity Zone map notice; Ordinance 492 (oversized vehicle parking); Permit Parking FAQ; Special Construction Permit.
Other agencies: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Rancho Palos Verdes; State Water Resources Control Board, Nonfunctional Turf FAQ.
Professional management
Thinking about management help?
Tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsBrowse all HOA topicsThis page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. City ordinances and state law change, and your association’s governing documents control many of these questions, so check the current code and talk with your association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.