Short-Term Rentals in Redding, CA

Redding maintains 137 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with short-term rentals. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Redding falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Redding requires every short-term rental to get city approval before operating: hosted homestays need a Letter of Determination from the Development Services director, while whole-home vacation rentals need a discretionary Site Development Permit under Chapters 18.11 and 18.13, and both permit types expire after twelve months and must be renewed.

Key details: Hosted homestay approval: Letter of Determination from Development Services director. Vacation rental approval: Discretionary Site Development Permit, Ch. 18.11/18.13. Permit term: Expires 12 months from issuance, renewal required. Notice for vacation rentals: Mailed to owners within 600 feet, 10-day period. Appeal window: 10 business days under Section 18.11.090.

Section 18.43.180(J) authorizes "civil and equitable remedies as permitted by state law, the issuance of a citation and fine, or other legal remedy" under RMC Chapters 1.12 through 1.15 for any short-term rental operating without a valid permit, and the city can order an unpermitted or lapsed rental to terminate operations immediately upon notice; a vacation rental's Site Development Permit can also be revoked under Chapter 18.11 procedures.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Redding actively enforces its short-term rental permits requirements.

Night Caps

Redding caps hosted homestay rentals at one hundred eighty days per calendar year per property, and separately limits the entire city to no more than four hundred vacation rental permits active at any one time, so both a per-owner day limit and a hard citywide inventory ceiling apply.

Key details: Hosted homestay day cap: 180 rental days per calendar year. Vacation rental citywide cap: 400 permits active citywide at once. Cap reset: 180-day limit resets each January 1. Verification method: TOT filings report tenant-stay counts. Spacing rule: New vacation rentals barred within 600 feet.

Exceeding the 180-day hosted homestay limit or operating a vacation rental once the citywide 400-permit cap is full without an approved Site Development Permit violates Section 18.43.180 and exposes the operator to citation, fines under RMC Chapters 1.12-1.15, suspension or termination of the permit under subsection H, and an order to cease operating immediately under subsection J.

Compared to other cities, Redding takes a harder line on night caps. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Redding short-term rental permits must specify on-site parking spaces for tenants, with at least two spaces required in the primary driveway or another on-site location, no street parking allowed, and no converting front-yard landscaping into extra parking to meet the minimum.

Key details: Minimum on-site spaces: At least two spaces, no less. Street parking: No tenant street parking permitted. Landscape conversion: Front-yard landscaping cannot be paved for parking. Advertising requirement: Listings must state number of parking spaces. Vacation rental extra duty: Operator must log each tenant vehicle.

Letting tenants park on the street, advertising a rental without stating the permitted parking count, or failing to keep the two required on-site spaces free during a booking violates Section 18.43.180(E)(7)-(8) and can be cited by code enforcement under RMC Chapters 1.12-1.15; repeated parking violations are also grounds the director may weigh under subsection G(2) to deny permit renewal or under subsection H to suspend the permit.

Taxes & Fees

Redding short-term rental guests pay a 10% transient occupancy tax under Chapter 4.12, and operators must also hold a City business license and print their TOT and business license numbers on every advertisement, with tax delinquency penalties reaching 45% plus 1.5% monthly interest.

Key details: Tax rate: 10 percent of rent charged. Return deadline: Filed within 20 days of month end. Late penalty: 10% penalty, plus 10% more after 30 days. Fraud penalty: Additional 25% penalty, 1.5% monthly interest. Criminal penalty: Misdemeanor, up to $500 fine or 6 months jail.

Failing to register, remit collected tax, or file the required return is a misdemeanor under Section 4.12.150, punishable by up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, on top of the escalating 10%/10%/25% delinquency penalties and 1.5% monthly interest under Section 4.12.070; operating without the business license and TOT number required by Section 18.43.180(E)(15) also exposes the short-term rental permit itself to denial or suspension.

Occupancy Limits

Redding caps short-term rental occupancy at two persons per rented bedroom under RMC 18.43.180. A vacation rental cannot be rented to multiple separate parties at the same time. The ordinance also limits vacation rentals to 180 rental-days per calendar year. Children typically count toward the per-bedroom cap, with infants commonly excluded.

Key details: Per-Bedroom Cap: 2 persons per rented bedroom. Concurrent Parties: Prohibited (one party at a time). Annual Rental Limit: 180 days per calendar year. State Floor: CBC §1004 / 70 sq ft minimum. Infants: Under 1 typically not counted.

Exceeding the two-per-bedroom cap is a violation of RMC 18.43.180 and grounds for Site Development Permit revocation by the Development Services Director. Code Enforcement may issue administrative citations starting at $100 per occurrence and escalating to $500/$1,000 for repeat violations within one year. Renting to multiple parties concurrently is a separate violation and can trigger immediate permit suspension. Persistent overcrowding can be referred to Shasta County Health under Health & Safety Code §17920.3 for substandard-housing enforcement.

Noise Rules

Redding requires every short-term rental's house policies to enforce outdoor quiet hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., banning outdoor activity during that window, and separately bars hosting weddings, parties, or other non-guest events on the property at any time.

Key details: Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., outdoor activity banned. Event ban: No non-guest weddings, parties, or similar events. Where required: Posted house policies in every rental bedroom. Applies to: Both hosted homestays and vacation rentals. Consequence: Grounds for permit denial, suspension, or termination.

Failing to post or enforce the required quiet-hours house policy, or hosting a prohibited party or event, is a permit violation under Section 18.43.180 that the director can weigh in denying renewal under subsection G(2) or in suspending or terminating an active permit under subsection H; repeated neighbor noise complaints and code enforcement citations documented under RMC Chapters 1.12-1.15 are the evidence the city relies on.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Redding limits its 'hosted homestay' permit to an owner-occupied home where the property owner both applies and lives, while its separate whole-home vacation rental permit, capped citywide at 400, has no such residency requirement and can be a non-owner-occupied investment property.

Key details: Hosted homestay: Must be owner-occupied dwelling with owner as applicant. Vacation rental: No residency requirement, owner need not reside. Vacation rental tradeoff: Citywide cap of 400 permits, discretionary review. Absent-owner requirement: 24-hour local contact person required for vacation rentals.

Applying for a hosted homestay permit on a property the owner does not occupy, or renting an entire non-owner-occupied dwelling under the guise of a hosted homestay, misrepresents the use under Section 18.43.180(B) and (E)(4) and is grounds for permit denial under subsection G(2), suspension or termination under subsection H, and citation and fines under RMC Chapters 1.12 through 1.15.

This is one of the stricter rules in Redding's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Host Presence Rule

Redding's hosted homestay rules require the property owner to be the permit applicant and to actually occupy the home while paying guests rent rooms, with narrow exceptions only for routine daily errands; there is no equivalent host-presence rule for whole-home vacation rentals.

Key details: Rule: Owner must occupy residence during rentals. Exception: Owner may leave only for daily routines. Applies to: Hosted homestays only, not vacation rentals. Violation consequence: Director may suspend or terminate permit. Appeal path: Planning commission, then city council, 10 days each.

Operating a hosted homestay without the required host presence breaches the Letter of Determination's terms, and subsection H lets the director suspend or terminate the permit on notice under Section 18.11.060, appealable to the planning commission within ten calendar days and then to the city council within ten more; ongoing violations also expose the owner to citation and fines under RMC Chapters 1.12 through 1.15 and an immediate order to stop operating.

The Bottom Line

Redding is tougher than many cities when it comes to short-term rentals. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Redding, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Redding's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.