Anaheim, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Anaheim, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- New STR permits
- Not accepted since Sep 15, 2015
- Who may still operate
- Pre-Moratorium permit holders only
- Renewal deadline
- Last business day of July, annually
- Unpermitted operation fine
- $500 per day
- Narrow exception
- Pre-moratorium C-G Commercial Zone CUPs
Summary
Anaheim has not accepted a new short-term rental application since its September 15, 2015 moratorium, and Section 4.05.040.030 bars STRs as an allowable use in every residential zone and virtually every other zoning district. Only owners with a valid Pre-Moratorium Short-Term Rental permit, or specific pre-moratorium conditional-use rentals in the C-G Commercial Zone, may still renew and operate.
Except for Pre-Moratorium Short-Term Rentals, short-term rentals shall not be allowed as an allowable use on any property within Single-Family Residential Zones (as defined in Section 18.04.020 of this code), Multiple-Family Residential Zones (as defined in Section 18.06.020 of this code), or any other zoning district in the city, including all underlying or base zones, overlay zones and adopted specific plans, in which residential uses are a permitted or conditionally permitted use... It is unlawful for any person or entity to rent, offer to rent, or advertise for rent a dwelling or dwellings to a person or group of persons as a short-term rental without a short-term rental permit approved in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Code: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026 | Zoning: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
040 exists almost entirely to wind down, not expand, Anaheim's STR inventory. 030 states that except for Pre-Moratorium Short-Term Rentals, STRs "shall not be allowed as an allowable use" in Single-Family Residential Zones, Multiple-Family Residential Zones, or any other zoning district, base zone, overlay zone or specific plan where residential use is permitted or conditionally permitted citywide. The narrow carve-out covers rentals in the C-G General Commercial Zone that already held a conditional use permit before the September 15, 2015 moratorium; those may still obtain new permits under the chapter's operational rules.
090 now requires an annual renewal by the last business day of July, with the Council-set fee, to keep the permit from lapsing. 120 bars adding bedrooms or square footage beyond the pre-moratorium floor plans when applying for renewal, though remodels that add no space or bedrooms are allowed. 050 makes operating without both a chargeable violation of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Renting, offering to rent, or advertising a dwelling as a short-term rental without an approved permit is unlawful under Sections 4.05.040.030 and .060, and Section 4.05.130.0104 sets a $500-per-day civil citation for operating without one. Missing an annual renewal deadline lapses the permit entirely rather than triggering a grace period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a new short-term rental permit in Anaheim today?
What happens if I already hold a pre-moratorium STR permit?
Are commercial-zone short-term rentals treated differently?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anaheim
How Anaheim compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Anaheim to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle short-term rental permits.