Riverside County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Riverside County, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- County Code § 5.84.060
- Issuing agency
- Planning Department
- Certificate term
- One year, renewable
- Initial fee
- $740
- Renewal fee
- $540
Summary
Riverside County requires a short term rental certificate from the Planning Department before any unincorporated-area property can be rented or advertised as a short-term rental.
A Responsible operator shall obtain a short term rental certificate pursuant to this chapter from the planning department before renting or advertising for rent any short term rental. It is unlawful for any person to advertise, maintain, operate, or use a short term rental in the unincorporated area of Riverside County without a short term rental certificate, or in violation of the terms and conditions of the certificate. Short term rental certificates shall be renewed annually, and separate short term rental certificates are required for each short term rental.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under County Code § 5.84.060, a responsible operator must obtain a short term rental certificate from the planning department before renting or advertising any short term rental, and it is unlawful to advertise, maintain, operate, or use one in the unincorporated area without a valid certificate. Certificates are non-transferable, required separately for each dwelling, and must be renewed annually. Initial applications cost $740 and renewals cost $540 under the county's fee ordinance. The rule applies only in unincorporated Riverside County; the 28 cities within the county, including Riverside, Temecula, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio and Coachella, license short-term rentals under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Advertising, operating, or maintaining a short term rental without a valid certificate is a public nuisance and strict-liability offense; each day is a separate violation. Administrative citations run $1,500 for a first offense, $3,000 for a second within a year, and $5,000 for each additional offense, per § 5.84.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in unincorporated Riverside County?
Can I transfer my short term rental certificate to a new owner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
How Riverside County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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