Apple Valley, CA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Short-term rentals (defined as a dwelling unit rented for 30 consecutive days or less, Section 8.34.030(j), added by Ord. No. 561 in 2023) are permitted in the Town of Apple Valley's residential districts, but only through a Special Use Permit. In the residential land-use table in Chapter 9.28 (Residential Districts), the row '16. Short-term rentals' is marked 'SUP' across the residential zones, and footnote 14 states that short-term rentals 'shall also be subject to Sections 8.34.030 and 8.34.080 of Chapter 8.34.' Under the table legend, 'SUP' means the use is 'Subject to Special Use Permit process, Department review' - a discretionary Town review handled at staff/Department level (the Special Use Permit process is detailed in Chapter 9.16), as distinct from 'P' (by-right Development Permit) and 'CUP' (Conditional Use Permit, Planning Commission review). Beyond zoning approval, operators must obtain the rental-housing Property Maintenance Certificate (Section 8.34.040), comply with the STR operating standards in Section 8.34.080, and register and pay Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 3.24. This is a Town-specific framework: Apple Valley is an incorporated Town with its own Municipal Code, so San Bernardino County's rules apply only to unincorporated areas. California has no statewide STR permit; the Town's SUP plus Chapter 8.34 requirements are what control inside town limits.