Palm Springs, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Overnight cap
- 2 persons/bedroom, 8 total
- Minor add-on
- up to 2 kids age 12 and under
- Daytime cap
- 4 extra guests allowed
- Estate home exemption
- up to 12 guests, 2 extra bedrooms
- Citation fines
- $500 first, $1,000 each later one
Summary
Palm Springs caps vacation rental overnight occupancy at two persons per bedroom and eight total, plus up to two children age 12 or under, under Section 5.25.070(c). Owners may also host four extra daytime guests, and estate homes can add two more bedrooms for up to 12 total guests under Section 5.25.070(d).
The owner shall limit overnight occupancy of the vacation rental unit to a specific number of occupants, with the maximum number of occupants as no more than two persons per bedroom within each vacation rental unit and a maximum of no more than eight persons total within the vacation rental unit, except that owner may allow up to two minor children, age 12 or under, to occupy the vacation rental in addition to the maximum number of occupants otherwise provided in this subsection. ... The owner may also allow up to four daytime occupants in addition to the total number of guests allowed for overnight occupancy pursuant to this subsection. ... The owner of an estate home shall be exempt from the limitations of subsection (c) of this section for up to two additional bedrooms for housing to accommodate no more than two persons for each additional bedroom approved pursuant to the exemption up to a maximum of 12 guests and up to two minors age 12 and under.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
070(c) sets the base occupancy formula: overnight occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom with an overall cap of eight persons total, though the owner may add up to two minor children age 12 or under on top of that maximum. The bedroom count that drives the formula isn't self-reported: the enforcement official verifies it using Riverside County assessor records, city building records, or a physical inspection before issuing the registration certificate. Beyond the overnight cap, the owner may also allow up to four daytime-only occupants in addition to the overnight guest total.
070(d): the owner may add up to two additional bedrooms to the calculation, each housing up to two more people, for a combined maximum of 12 overnight guests plus up to two minors age 12 and under, well above the standard eight-person cap. 070(o)(2) so guests can't claim they didn't know the limit. 070(b) or the noise and parking rules in the same section.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the posted occupancy limit is expressly a Chapter 5.25 violation under Section 5.25.070(o)(6), punishable as a misdemeanor for each day it continues plus an administrative citation of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each later one under Section 5.25.090(a). A third violation within 12 months triggers a mandatory two-year suspension of the registration certificate under Section 5.25.090(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can stay overnight at a Palm Springs vacation rental?
What is the estate home exemption?
Are daytime visitors counted the same as overnight guests?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
California rules heatmap·Compare Palm Springs to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Occupancy Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle occupancy limits.