Riverside County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Riverside County Ordinance No. 927 (as amended by Ordinance No. 927.2) governs short-term rentals in the County's unincorporated areas. Under Section 6, a Responsible Operator must obtain a Short Term Rental Certificate from the Planning Department before renting or advertising any STR, and it is unlawful to advertise, operate, or use an STR without a valid certificate. A short-term rental is a privately owned residential dwelling rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days but not less than two consecutive days and one night. The application (Section 7) requires owner and operator contact information, an indemnification/hold-harmless agreement, a declaration that the dwelling is legally permitted and code-compliant, no active code enforcement actions, and completion of a self-certification test. Within 30 days of an initial application, the County may inspect the exterior to verify the required sign, adequate on-site parking, and a working Noise Monitor; an operator must be available on-site within 60 minutes of an inspection request. Certificates are valid for one year and do not run with the land, expiring automatically when ownership changes. Tents, RVs, treehouses, yurts, and other non-habitable structures cannot qualify. Idyllwild (including Pine Cove) and Temecula Valley Wine Country face additional caps and a lottery selection process.