Draft. This page was compiled from official sources but has not completed editorial verification. Confirm every figure with the official links below before acting.
Palm Springs Short-Term Rental Rules: What Hosts Need to Know in 2026
Palm Springs allows vacation rentals only in single-family homes, and only as a secondary use of the property. A Vacation Rental Registration Certificate is required before advertising or renting for stays of 28 consecutive days or less.
New certificates are capped at 20% of the residential dwelling units in each Organized Neighborhood. In neighborhoods at or above the cap, applications are returned and hosts may join a waitlist.
A neighborhood cap and an annual certificate
Ordinance 2075, adopted on November 28, 2022, amended and restated Chapter 5.25. It limits vacation rentals and homeshares to single-family homes, treats them as ancillary uses, and established the 20% neighborhood cap.
Ordinance 2133, adopted on July 8, 2026, amended Chapter 5.25 again and added a local framework for California’s Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025. The city continues to treat a registration certificate as a privilege, not a right.
- New certificates are capped at 20% of residential dwelling units in each Organized Neighborhood.
- Vacation rentals are limited to single-family homes; apartments are ineligible.
- Certificates are issued annually and must be renewed with the annual fee.
Certificate types and fees
The city issues separate registrations for standard vacation rentals, junior vacation rentals, and homeshares. All are annual registrations, and estate homes also need a land use permit.
Vacation Rental Registration Certificate
The standard certificate costs $1,046 for a new registration or annual renewal and is required before a single-family home is advertised or rented for 28 consecutive days or less.
Junior Vacation Rental
The junior vacation rental registration costs $523 for a new registration or annual renewal.
Homeshare
A homeshare registration costs $261 for a new registration or annual renewal.
Estate homes
Estate homes need a separate Land Use Permit, which costs $647.
License fees
| Label | Fee |
|---|---|
| New license — Vacation Rental | $1,046 |
| New license — Junior Vacation Rental | $523 |
| New license — Homeshare | $261 |
| Renewal — Vacation Rental | $1,046 |
| Renewal — Junior Vacation Rental | $523 |
| Renewal — Homeshare | $261 |
Registration and eligibility rules
- A Vacation Rental Registration Certificate is required before advertising or renting a single-family home for stays of 28 consecutive days or less.
- Vacation rentals and homeshares are allowed only as ancillary and secondary uses of residential property; apartments are ineligible.
- New certificates are capped at 20% of residential dwelling units in each Organized Neighborhood; applications in neighborhoods at or above 20% are returned and may join a waitlist.
- Estate homes require a separate Land Use Permit, with a $647 fee.
Enforcement: fines, suspension, and the complaint hotline
The Department of Special Program Compliance administers and enforces the vacation rental rules, and the city publishes a complaint hotline for active disturbances during a rental.
A first specified violation can bring a $2,500 administrative fine and a six-month certificate suspension. Repeat violations can lead to suspension or revocation.
- $2,500 administrative fine and a six-month certificate suspension for a first specified violation.
- Repeated violations can lead to suspension or revocation of the certificate.
- Late transient occupancy tax payments are subject to penalty and interest.
| Item | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Administrative fine | $2,500 administrative fine and a six-month certificate suspension for a first specified violation. |
| Suspension | Repeated violations can lead to suspension or revocation of the vacation rental certificate. |
| Tax delinquency | Late transient occupancy tax payments are subject to penalty and interest. |
Transient occupancy tax: 11.5% plus a 1% TBID assessment
Combined hotel occupancy tax ~12.5%
The city imposes an 11.5% transient occupancy tax, and the Greater Palm Springs Tourism Business Improvement District adds a 1% assessment, for a combined rate of about 12.5%.
Hosts collect and remit both amounts; hosting platforms may collect on bookings they process.
TOT and TBID returns are filed monthly with the city, including months with no rental activity.
Stays of 28 consecutive days or more are not subject to transient occupancy tax.
- Collection
- Hosts collect and remit TOT and the TBID assessment; hosting platforms may collect on bookings they process.
- Filing
- Monthly TOT and TBID returns to the City, including zero-activity months.
Ranges vary — verify. Stays of 28 consecutive days or more are not subject to transient occupancy tax.
Operating rules quick list
- Noise
- No outside amplified music is allowed; sound must be fully contained within the property and not audible at the property line.
- Parking
- Vehicle limits are based on the number of bedrooms; vehicles may not block driveways or mailboxes.
- Occupancy
- Overnight occupancy is limited by bedroom count, with two children age 12 or under allowed in addition to the adult limit.
Permit notes
- Density caps
- New certificates are capped at 20% of residential dwelling units in each Organized Neighborhood; at or above the cap the City returns applications and offers a neighborhood waitlist.
- Other fees
- Estate home Land Use Permit $647; transfer fee $222; Administrative Appeals Board appeal fee $1,324.
- Renewal requirements
- Certificates renew annually with the New/Annual Registration Fee of $1,046.
Compare Palm Springs with other STR markets
Some cities cap short-term rental nights, while others cap the number of certificates by neighborhood. Palm Springs uses the second approach and limits the use to single-family homes, so availability can differ sharply from one neighborhood to the next.
Phoenix
Arizona
Allowed citywide with permit (state law bars city bans — host-friendly)
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Phoenix rules →Scottsdale
Arizona
Licensed; Arizona law preempts local bans and occupancy caps
Moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Scottsdale rules →Sedona
Arizona
Permit required; Arizona law sets the regulatory floor
Moderate enforcement
New license $210
Last verified
View Sedona rules →Los Angeles
California
Allowed in the host’s primary residence with registration; 120-night annual cap unless extended
High enforcement
New license $441
Last verified
View Los Angeles rules →San Diego
California
Licensed by tier; whole-home licenses are capped by ordinance
High enforcement
New license — Tier 1 — Part-Time $193
Last verified
View San Diego rules →San Francisco
California
Allowed only in the host’s permanent residence with registration; un-hosted stays capped at 90 nights per year
High enforcement
New license $925
Last verified
View San Francisco rules →Santa Monica
California
Home-sharing only in the host’s primary residence; un-hosted vacation rentals are unlawful
High enforcement
New license $582.25
Last verified
View Santa Monica rules →Denver
Colorado
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Denver rules →Washington
District of Columbia
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $99
Last verified
View Washington rules →Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Licensed and inspected; annual Certificate of Compliance required
High enforcement
New license — Certificate of Compliance $880
Last verified
View Fort Lauderdale rules →Miami
Florida
Licensed and enforced; city and county requirements run in parallel
High enforcement
Last verified
View Miami rules →Orlando
Florida
Owner-occupied home sharing; whole-home rentals are limited by zoning
Moderate enforcement
New license — Home Sharing Registration $275
Last verified
View Orlando rules →Tampa
Florida
State-licensed; city rental registration repealed in 2023
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $230
Last verified
View Tampa rules →Atlanta
Georgia
Licensed, primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Atlanta rules →Savannah
Georgia
Certified STVR, overlay district only, per-ward cap
High enforcement
New license $400
Last verified
View Savannah rules →Chicago
Illinois
Registered shared housing unit (31 days or fewer)
High enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Chicago rules →New Orleans
Louisiana
Licensed, capped, and lottery-based
High enforcement
New license — NSTR owner permit $500
Last verified
View New Orleans rules →Boston
Massachusetts
Registered, owner-occupied primary residence only
High enforcement
New license — Limited Share $25
Last verified
View Boston rules →Las Vegas
Nevada
Licensed; owner-occupied homes only (city limits)
High enforcement
New license $500
Last verified
View Las Vegas rules →New York
New York
Legal only in a registered primary residence (hosted stays)
High enforcement
New license $145
Last verified
View New York rules →Portland
Oregon
Permitted as an accessory use (primary residence required)
Moderate enforcement
Last verified
View Portland rules →Charleston
South Carolina
Licensed, primary residence only (commercial STRs only in the overlay district)
High enforcement
New license $345
Last verified
View Charleston rules →Nashville
Tennessee
Allowed with permit; heavy zoning restrictions on investor units
High enforcement
New license $313
Last verified
View Nashville rules →Austin
Texas
Licensed & enforced
High enforcement
New license $736.60
Last verified
View Austin rules →Seattle
Washington
Licensed; up to two units per operator
High enforcement
New license $75
Last verified
View Seattle rules →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to rent my Palm Springs home short-term?
Yes. A Vacation Rental Registration Certificate is required before advertising or renting a single-family home for stays of 28 consecutive days or less, and the certificate renews annually.
Are there caps on new Palm Springs vacation rentals?
Yes. New certificates are capped at 20% of residential dwelling units in each Organized Neighborhood; applications in neighborhoods at or above the cap are returned and may join a waitlist.
What taxes does a Palm Springs vacation rental collect?
An 11.5% city transient occupancy tax plus a 1% Greater Palm Springs TBID assessment, for a combined rate of about 12.5%.
Official sources and cross-checks
Sources with links
- City of Palm Springs — Vacation Rentals (Special Program Compliance) palmspringsca.gov
- City of Palm Springs — Vacation Rental Neighborhood Percentage Information palmspringsca.gov
- City of Palm Springs — Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) palmspringsca.gov
- Greater Palm Springs TBID — assessment rates visitgreaterpalmsprings.com