Elk Grove, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Elk Grove, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- License required
- Per address, EGMC § 4.38.020
- License term
- Expires 3 years after issuance
- Renewal window
- File 30-60 days before expiration
- Transferability
- Nontransferable; new owner needs new license
- Civil penalty
- Up to $250 per day of violation
- Administrative fine
- Up to $500 per violation, § 4.38.110
Summary
Elk Grove requires a separate short-term rental license for every address rented out, issued only for a fixed residential structure. Licenses expire after three years and applicants must disclose any prior suspension or revocation. The City Manager can deny an application tied to a location with a suspended, revoked or contested license, or an owner cited within the past year.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a short-term rental within the City without a previously issued and effective short-term rental license for each separate address at which a short-term rental would occur. A short-term rental license may only be issued for a residential structure at a fixed location and address.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937385; v2 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
020 bars operating a short-term rental in Elk Grove without a license issued for that specific address, and a license can only cover a residential structure at a fixed location, not a room-by-room or roaming arrangement. 030 and must name every owner, list the rental address, and disclose whether any owner previously held a short-term rental license that was suspended or revoked. 040, the City Manager may deny an application that is incomplete, seeks an address carrying a suspended or revoked license, or names an applicant found to have violated any local, State or Federal law within the preceding year; a suspended-or-revoked address regains eligibility after an arm's-length sale to an unrelated buyer or after five years have passed since revocation.
040(B), and licensees must file for renewal, with the fee, between 30 and 60 days before expiration. 070: a new owner of a licensed property must apply for a new license before continuing short-term rental use. 060 sets the license fee by City Council resolution, due when the application is submitted.
Violations & Fines
Operating a short-term rental without the required license, or after it lapses, is enforceable as an infraction for each day the violation continues under Section 4.38.110, alongside civil penalties of up to $250 per day and administrative fines of up to $500 per violation. The City Attorney may also bring a civil action to recover attorneys' fees and costs, and an unlicensed rental is declared a public nuisance subject to City abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a City license to run an Airbnb in Elk Grove?
How long does an Elk Grove short-term rental license last?
Can I transfer my short-term rental license when I sell the property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elk Grove
How Elk Grove compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Elk Grove 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 Sacramento County handle short-term rental permits.