Redlands, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

The City of Redlands does not require a short-term rental to be the host's primary residence, and it does not limit STRs to owner-occupied homes - simply because no STR ordinance exists to impose such a condition. Many California cities restrict STRs to a host's primary residence or cap non-owner-occupied 'whole-home' rentals; Redlands has adopted no such rule citywide. The one owner-occupancy requirement in this area applies narrowly to lots created under California's SB 9 law. Under Municipal Code Section 18.156.1330 and the City's SB 9 program (adopted by Ordinance No. 2985), an owner who performs an SB 9 urban lot split must sign a notarized affidavit and record a deed restriction guaranteeing owner occupancy of one of the dwelling units for a minimum of three (3) years from the date of map recordation. On those same SB 9 lots, short-term rentals are prohibited entirely: the Code provides that 'No dwelling unit on the lot may be rented for a period of less than thirty (30) days,' and requires a recorded deed restriction expressly prohibiting any rental under 30 days. So the practical picture is two-sided: for ordinary (non-SB 9) properties, Redlands imposes no primary-residence or owner-occupancy condition on short-term rentals at all; but for newly created SB 9 lots, the owner must occupy the property for three years and cannot offer short-term rentals during or after that period under the recorded restriction. Hosts considering an STR on an SB 9-created lot should treat sub-30-day rental as off-limits.