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Short-Term Rentals in Santa Ana, CA (2026)

12 verified short-term rentals rules for Santa Ana, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Permit Requirements

Santa Ana completely prohibits short-term rentals (under 30 days) citywide as of April 2024. The City Council adopted an urgency ordinance banning all STR operations; no permits, licenses, or registrations are available for short-term rental use.

Santa Ana Short-Term Rental Ban

Heavy Restrictions

Noise Rules

Short-term rentals are banned in Santa Ana, so STR-specific noise rules are moot. All properties remain subject to SAMC Chapter 18, Article VI general noise standards: 55 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime at residential property lines.

Santa Ana STR Noise Rules (Ban Context)

Heavy Restrictions

Taxes & Fees

Short-term rentals are banned in Santa Ana, so there are no TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) collection requirements for residential STR hosts. The city's TOT applies only to hotels and other licensed lodging establishments.

Santa Ana STR Taxes & Fees (Ban)

Heavy Restrictions

Parking Rules

Short-term rentals are banned in Santa Ana, so STR-specific parking rules do not exist. All residential properties must maintain required off-street parking per SAMC Article XV and comply with general street parking regulations.

Santa Ana STR Parking Rules (Ban)

Heavy Restrictions

Occupancy Limits

Short-term rentals are completely banned in Santa Ana. There are no STR occupancy limits because the activity is prohibited outright. General residential occupancy standards under building and health codes still apply to all dwellings.

Santa Ana STR Occupancy Limits (Ban)

Heavy Restrictions

Insurance Requirements

Short-term rentals are completely banned in Santa Ana. The city council voted unanimously to prohibit all STR operations, so insurance requirements are moot. No permits are issued and no grandfathering provisions exist.

Santa Ana Short-Term Rental Insurance

Heavy Restrictions

Night Caps

Short-term rentals are completely banned in Santa Ana. There are no occupancy caps, nightly limits, or rental caps because the city prohibits all STR activity outright with no permit system or exceptions.

Santa Ana Short-Term Rental Ban

Heavy Restrictions

Registration Rules

Santa Ana completely prohibits short-term rentals (under 30 days) citywide as of April 2024. The City Council adopted an urgency ordinance banning all STR operations; no permits, licenses, or registrations are available for short-term rental use.

Santa Ana Short-Term Rental Ban

Heavy Restrictions

Host Presence Rule

Santa Ana favors hosted home-share STRs over whole-home rentals. Many permits require the host to live on-site during a guest stay so a responsible adult is reachable for noise, parking, and safety issues affecting neighbors.

Host Presence During Rental

Some Restrictions

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Santa Ana limits short-term rental operation to a host's primary residence. Investor-owned non-owner-occupied STRs are prohibited citywide, protecting long-term rental housing stock in the dense, Latino-majority urban core.

Primary Residence STR Requirement

Heavy Restrictions

Repeat Violator Strikes

Santa Ana uses a strike system for STR permits. Repeat documented violations within a rolling period escalate from warnings to fines, permit suspension, and eventual revocation with multi-year ineligibility for the host and address.

Repeat Violator Strike System

Heavy Restrictions

Host Platform Liability

Santa Ana places enforcement obligations on hosting platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo, requiring them to verify a valid local STR permit before allowing listings and to remove non-compliant ads upon city notice.

Platform Liability for Listings

Some Restrictions

Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Ana city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in Orange County