10 verified short-term rentals rules for Indio, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
The City of Indio requires a short-term rental permit under Municipal Code Chapter 37 before advertising or renting any dwelling for 30 days or fewer. Section 37.004 bars operating without a permit, a city business license (Ch. 110), and TOT registration (Ch. 34). The permit is non-transferable, valid only for approved bedrooms, and requires a city inspection.
Indio short-term rentals must observe quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday-Saturday, during which no sound may be audible beyond the property line and outdoor amenities may not be used (Section 37.012(I)-(J)). Amplified music is never allowed outside the home, per Municipal Code Chapter 95C.
Indio Municipal Code § 37.012(J) (Ord. 1766, passed 12-14-21)
Occupants of the short-term rental shall be prohibited from using all outdoor amenities and/or engaging in outdoor games or any outdoor activities that create noise, including amplified sound, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday. A sign stating these restrictions must be clearly visible near any such spa/pool and posted ...
Indio charges a 13% transient occupancy tax on STR gross rent under Municipal Code Chapter 34 (§§ 34.35-34.48), plus a 1% Greater Palm Springs Tourism Business Improvement District assessment on stays of 27 days or less. The annual STR permit fee is $1,633, on top of the business license fee. TOT and TBID are filed monthly even with no bookings.
Indio limits short-term rental guest vehicles to the number of designated on-site parking spaces and prohibits street parking by occupants at all times (Section 37.012(T)). A parking plan showing legally available on-site parking is required with the application (Section 37.005), and the maximum number of vehicles must be disclosed in every advertisement and posted inside the home.
Indio Municipal Code § 37.012(T) (Ord. 1766, passed 12-14-21)
The owner shall limit the number of vehicles of overnight occupants at an amount not to exceed the number of designated on-site parking spaces. All persons shall comply with all applicable city parking regulations. Vehicle parking on the street shall be prohibited at all times.
Indio caps overnight short-term rental occupancy at four persons plus two per bedroom, topping out at 20 guests for homes with 8+ bedrooms (Section 37.012(B)). Daytime gatherings up to 40 are allowed only on lots of 14,500 sq ft or more; gatherings of 25-39 on smaller lots, or 41+ on any lot, need a special event permit.
Indio Municipal Code § 37.012(B)(1) (Ord. 1766, passed 12-14-21)
The owner shall limit overnight occupancy of the short-term rental to a specific number of occupants. Overnight occupancy shall not exceed four persons plus no more than two persons per bedroom within each short-term rental as set forth in the chart below. As used in this section, OVERNIGHT OCCUPANCY shall mean during the hours of 10:00 p.m. through 8:00 a.m. of the following day.
Indio requires every short-term rental owner to carry general liability insurance covering the rental in an aggregate sum of not less than $1,000,000, or to show each booking runs through a platform providing equal or greater coverage (Section 37.005(F)). Proof is required at initial permit and renewal; lapsing the insurance results in permit suspension.
Indio Municipal Code § 37.005(F) (Ord. 1766, passed 12-14-21)
The owner shall provide proof of general liability insurance that covers the rental of the property as a short-term rental in the aggregate sum of not less than $1,000,000. Alternatively, the owner can provide evidence that each rental occurs through a platform that provides equal or greater insurance coverage. Proof of insurance shall be provided at the time of both initial permit and renewal ...
Indio does not cap the number of nights a permitted short-term rental may operate per year. The defining limit is the rental length: a "short-term rental" is any rental of 30 consecutive days or fewer (Section 37.002). Longer stays are long-term tenancies outside Chapter 37. A proposed citywide density cap exists only as an unfilled placeholder, not enacted law.
Indio STR owners register the rental under Section 37.005 and must list a 24-hour Coachella Valley local contact. Every advertisement must display the permit in the exact format "City of Indio Short-Term Rental Permit No. ___" plus max occupancy, bedroom count, and max vehicles (Section 37.012(O)). The permit is non-transferable and renews annually with the business license.
Indio Municipal Code § 37.012(O) (Ord. 1766, passed 12-14-21)
The owner shall include the current permit registration number on or in any advertisement ... in the following format: "City of Indio Short-Term Rental Permit No. _____". In the case of audio-only advertising of the same, the permit number shall be read as part of the advertising. In addition, the following shall be clearly identified in any advertisement: (1) maximum occupancy; (2) the number ...
Indio does not require the owner on site, but Section 37.012(F) requires the responsible person who signs the contract to be present for the entire rental period. A designated 24-hour local contact residing in the Coachella Valley must respond within 15 minutes by phone/text and 45 minutes in person, and in person for any noise complaint (Section 37.012(H)).
Indio Municipal Code § 37.012(F)(2) (Ord. 1766, passed 12-14-21)
Require the responsible person to execute the informational form and an acknowledgment form, which provides that responsible person ... must be present at the property during the duration of the short-term rental period ("acknowledgment form").
Indio's Chapter 37 does NOT require a short-term rental to be the owner's primary residence. The code defines OWNER to include corporations and other legal entities, and the application discloses any LLCs or trusts holding a financial interest, so investor-owned rentals can be permitted - unlike some neighboring desert cities. Impacts are instead controlled through occupancy, parking, and noise rules.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Indio city rules.
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