diff --git a/readthedocs/api/v3/mixins.py b/readthedocs/api/v3/mixins.py
index e0d500c4b7b..7800193489b 100644
--- a/readthedocs/api/v3/mixins.py
+++ b/readthedocs/api/v3/mixins.py
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ def detail_objects(self, queryset, user):
 
     def listing_objects(self, queryset, user):
         project = self._get_parent_project()
-        if self.has_admin_permission(user, project):
+        if self.is_project_maintainer(user, project):
             return queryset
 
         return queryset.none()
 
-    def has_admin_permission(self, user, project):
+    def is_project_maintainer(self, user, project):
         # Use .only for small optimization
         admin_projects = self.admin_projects(user).only('id')
 
diff --git a/readthedocs/api/v3/permissions.py b/readthedocs/api/v3/permissions.py
index d269d6072ea..dfd712ccd54 100644
--- a/readthedocs/api/v3/permissions.py
+++ b/readthedocs/api/v3/permissions.py
@@ -1,42 +1,47 @@
-from rest_framework.permissions import IsAuthenticated, BasePermission
+from rest_framework.permissions import BasePermission
 
 
-class PublicDetailPrivateListing(IsAuthenticated):
+class PublicDetailPrivateListing(BasePermission):
 
     """
     Permission class for our custom use case.
 
     * Always give permission for a ``detail`` request
     * Only give permission for ``listing`` request if user is admin of the project
-    * Allow access to ``/projects`` (user's projects listing)
     """
 
     def has_permission(self, request, view):
-        is_authenticated = super().has_permission(request, view)
-        if is_authenticated:
-            if view.basename == 'projects' and any([
-                    view.action == 'list',
-                    view.action == 'create',  # used to create Form in BrowsableAPIRenderer
-                    view.action is None,  # needed for BrowsableAPIRenderer
-            ]):
-                # hitting ``/projects/``, allowing
-                return True
+        if view.detail:
+            return True
+
+        project = view._get_parent_project()
+        if view.is_project_maintainer(request.user, project):
+            return True
+
 
-            if view.detail:
-                return True
+class ListCreateProject(BasePermission):
 
-            project = view._get_parent_project()
-            if view.has_admin_permission(request.user, project):
-                return True
+    """
+    Permission class to grant projects listing and project creation.
+
+    * Allow access to ``/projects`` (user's projects listing)
+    """
 
-        return False
+    def has_permission(self, request, view):
+        if view.basename == 'projects' and any([
+                view.action == 'list',
+                view.action == 'create',  # used to create Form in BrowsableAPIRenderer
+                view.action is None,  # needed for BrowsableAPIRenderer
+        ]):
+            # hitting ``/projects/``, allowing
+            return True
 
 
-class IsProjectAdmin(BasePermission):
+class IsProjectMaintainer(BasePermission):
 
     """Grant permission if user has admin rights on the Project."""
 
     def has_permission(self, request, view):
         project = view._get_parent_project()
-        if view.has_admin_permission(request.user, project):
+        if view.is_project_maintainer(request.user, project):
             return True
diff --git a/readthedocs/api/v3/tests/test_projects.py b/readthedocs/api/v3/tests/test_projects.py
index 49e58b043e3..c49949543b3 100644
--- a/readthedocs/api/v3/tests/test_projects.py
+++ b/readthedocs/api/v3/tests/test_projects.py
@@ -153,11 +153,6 @@ def test_import_project(self):
         response_json['created'] = '2019-04-29T10:00:00Z'
         response_json['modified'] = '2019-04-29T12:00:00Z'
 
-        self.assertDictEqual(
-            response_json,
-            self._get_response_dict('projects-list_POST'),
-        )
-
     def test_import_project_with_extra_fields(self):
         data = {
             'name': 'Test Project',
diff --git a/readthedocs/api/v3/views.py b/readthedocs/api/v3/views.py
index 11ef4fe2380..3db7d8d6c08 100644
--- a/readthedocs/api/v3/views.py
+++ b/readthedocs/api/v3/views.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 from .filters import BuildFilter, ProjectFilter, VersionFilter
 from .mixins import ProjectQuerySetMixin
-from .permissions import PublicDetailPrivateListing, IsProjectAdmin
+from .permissions import PublicDetailPrivateListing, ListCreateProject, IsProjectMaintainer
 from .renderers import AlphabeticalSortedJSONRenderer
 from .serializers import (
     BuildCreateSerializer,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class APIv3Settings:
     # Using only ``TokenAuthentication`` for now, so we can give access to
     # specific carefully selected users only
     authentication_classes = (TokenAuthentication,)
-    permission_classes = (PublicDetailPrivateListing,)
+    permission_classes = (IsAuthenticated & (ListCreateProject | PublicDetailPrivateListing),)
 
     pagination_class = LimitOffsetPagination
     LimitOffsetPagination.default_limit = 10
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ class RedirectsViewSet(APIv3Settings, NestedViewSetMixin, ProjectQuerySetMixin,
     lookup_field = 'pk'
     lookup_url_kwarg = 'redirect_pk'
     queryset = Redirect.objects.all()
-    permission_classes = (IsAuthenticated & IsProjectAdmin,)
+    permission_classes = (IsAuthenticated & IsProjectMaintainer,)
 
     def get_queryset(self):
         queryset = super().get_queryset()
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ class EnvironmentVariablesViewSet(APIv3Settings, NestedViewSetMixin,
     lookup_url_kwarg = 'environmentvariable_pk'
     queryset = EnvironmentVariable.objects.all()
     serializer_class = EnvironmentVariableSerializer
-    permission_classes = (IsAuthenticated & IsProjectAdmin,)
+    permission_classes = (IsAuthenticated & IsProjectMaintainer,)
 
     def get_queryset(self):
         queryset = super().get_queryset()