Murrieta, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Murrieta, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Yes, before renting or advertising
- Citywide permit cap
- 300 permits
- Issuance method
- First-come, first-served plus waitlist
- Business license
- Required under Chapter 5.04
- Enforcement
- Denial, suspension or revocation
Summary
Murrieta bans renting out a single-family home or condo as a short-term vacation rental without a city permit under Chapter 5.27. Permits are capped citywide at 300 and issued first-come, first-served, with excess applicants placed on a waiting list.
No person shall rent, offer to rent, or advertise for rent a single-family residential dwelling or condominium as a short-term vacation rental to any person without a valid short-term vacation rental permit issued by the city pursuant to and in the manner provided for by this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
27. 040 requires the owner to file a signed application under penalty of perjury with the city manager listing the owner's name, address and phone; the authorized agent, if any; the 24-hour local contact person; the property address; the number of bedrooms (which fixes occupancy limits); a signed acknowledgment of receipt of the good neighbor brochure; and a signed statement that the CC&Rs, if any, permit short-term rental use. 050 caps the citywide total at 300 permits, issued first-come, first-served, with a waiting list once the cap is reached.
260 further splits the 300-permit pool by zone: hosted units are allowed in RR, ER-1, ER-2, ER-3, SF-1, SF-2, MF-1, MF-2 and MF-3, while non-hosted units are limited to RR, ER-1 and ER-2 and must sit at least 300 feet from another non-hosted unit. 04 while renting.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a permit, or in violation of Chapter 5.27's requirements, is unlawful under Section 5.27.100 and is enforceable through Chapters 1.32, 1.26 and 8.20 of the municipal code, which cover administrative citations, fines and nuisance abatement. Section 5.27.110 lets the city deny, suspend or revoke a permit for noncompliance, and a public-nuisance finding under Section 5.27.090 can trigger further enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my Murrieta home short-term without a permit?
Is there a limit on how many short-term rental permits Murrieta issues?
What happens if I operate without a permit in Murrieta?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
How Murrieta compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta 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 Riverside County handle short-term rental permits.