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Orange, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Minimum coverage
$1,000,000 general aggregate
Governing provision
OMC § 5.94.060(L)
Proof required
Certificate of insurance at application
Alternative
Platform providing equal/greater coverage
Also required at
Application stage, § 5.94.040(F)

Summary

Orange requires every short term rental owner to carry liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 general aggregate, proven by certificate at permit application, or to book exclusively through a platform offering equal or greater coverage.

Insurance. The owner shall maintain liability insurance appropriate to cover the short term rental use in an amount not less than $1,000,000.00 general aggregate. Proof of such insurance in the form of a certificate of insurance shall be provided to the City upon submittal of short term rental permit application. In the alternative, the owner may submit proof satisfactory to the City that short term rental transactions will be conducted solely through a platform that provides equal or greater liability insurance.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4796775; v10 updated 2026-01-27).

Full Breakdown

00 general aggregate. 040(F) separately lists proof of the required liability insurance as one of the mandatory components of the permit application itself, alongside the owner's contact information, a parking diagram, an indemnification agreement, and a business license application. The chapter builds in an alternative compliance path: instead of maintaining a personal policy, an owner may submit proof satisfactory to the City that short term rental transactions will be conducted solely through a booking platform that itself provides equal or greater liability insurance coverage than the $1 million threshold.

This mirrors how major platforms bundle host liability coverage into their terms of service, letting a City-approved platform substitute for a standalone policy. 040(C), under which the permittee agrees, in a City Attorney-approved form, to hold the City harmless from claims arising out of the short term rental's operation. 060), a lapse in coverage after permit issuance is a compliance failure under the chapter, not merely an application defect.

Violations & Fines

Operating without the required $1,000,000 general aggregate liability coverage (or equivalent platform coverage) is a violation of the operating standards in Section 5.94.060, subject to citation under the tiered fine and revocation structure of Section 5.94.070, at the City Manager's discretion for classification as minor or major.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much liability insurance does a short term rental need in Orange?
Section 5.94.060(L) requires liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 general aggregate, appropriate to cover the short term rental use, with proof submitted as a certificate of insurance when applying for the permit.
Can an Airbnb host use the platform's insurance instead of buying a policy?
Yes, if the owner submits proof satisfactory to the City that rentals will be conducted solely through a platform offering equal or greater liability coverage than the $1 million threshold, per Section 5.94.060(L).
Is insurance proof needed at application or only after approval?
Both. Section 5.94.040(F) requires proof of liability insurance as part of the initial permit application, and Section 5.94.060(L) makes maintaining that coverage an ongoing operating standard.

Sources & Official References

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