Escondido, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Section 16-413 lists the three permits every host must hold before advertising or renting: an Escondido business license under §§ 16-6 and 16-17, a short-term rental permit under this article, and a transient occupancy tax registration certificate under § 25-77. Eligibility is narrower than the permit list suggests. Section 16-414 allows STRs in single-family, duplex, two- and three-family homes and townhomes, and in multifamily and condominium developments only under a sliding scale: one permit for developments of 2 to 50 units, two permits for 51 to 99 units, and the lesser of 2% of units or five permits for developments of 100 units or more, with a hard citywide cap of 25 multifamily STR permits and a waiting list once that cap is reached.

Citywide, the total number of STR permits cannot exceed 2% of the city's housing stock, and no permit can issue for a parcel within 500 feet of a school, measured property line to property line on the city's GIS. Accessory dwelling units, junior ADUs, SB 9 units, and inclusionary or income-restricted housing are categorically ineligible. To apply under § 16-415, an owner must supply proof of ownership, the bedroom count and resulting occupancy limit of two guests per bedroom plus two, a 24-hour responsible contact person able to respond within one hour, and signed acknowledgments covering fire and building code compliance, mandatory insurance, and sex-offender distance compliance, plus the processing fee set by council resolution; the city inspects the unit before issuing or renewing.

No permit issues or renews while the property carries unresolved code compliance cases, outstanding fines, or a city lien. The permit is nontransferable, tied to the business-license term, and automatically expires on sale of the property under § 16-416. Violations bring escalating civil fines under § 16-419: up to $1,000 for a first offense, up to $3,000 for a second within a year, and up to $5,000 for a third or later offense within that year, with permit revocation available for unlicensed operation.