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California · Riverside County

Riverside County

county Allowed with registration Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals (rental of a legal privately owned residential dwelling for occupancy for any period "less than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days total but not less than two (2) consecutive days and one (1) night") are LEGAL in the UNINCORPORATED areas of Riverside County only if the operator first obtains a Short Term Rental Certificate from the County Planning Department under Riverside County Ordinance No. 927 (codified as County Code Chapter 5.84). Per the ordinance's own signature block, Ordinance 927 was adopted 01/26/2016 (eff. 02/25/2016), amended by Ordinance 927.1 (adopted 10/18/2022, eff. 11/16/2022) and Ordinance 927.2 (adopted 12/12/2023, eff. 01/11/2024 — the current in-effect version). NOTE: a proposed Ordinance 927.3 (redline web-posted dated 5-7-26) was pending Board of Supervisors consideration as of mid-July 2026 and would raise fees and strengthen compliance, but is NOT yet adopted. The STR Certificate must be renewed ANNUALLY, a separate certificate is required for each property, and certificates do NOT run with the land — they expire automatically when the owner/responsible party changes (a limited family-transfer exception exists in Wine Country and Idyllwild only). Operators must also register with the Treasurer-Tax Collector for a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate under Ordinance No. 495 and collect/remit a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (an STR is treated as a "hotel" for Ordinance 495 purposes); additional TBID/TMD assessments may also apply. Occupancy is capped at 200 sq ft/person and by parcel size (10 persons for ≤1/2 acre; 16 for >1/2 up to 2 gross acres; 20 for over 2 gross acres). Operational rules include an exterior noise monitor in continuous operation (per Ord. 847), 10 PM–7 AM quiet hours, on-site-only parking (off-site parking prohibited), 24/7 responsible-operator availability with 60-minute complaint response, neighbor notification (300 ft if <5 gross acres; 600 ft if ≥5 gross acres) within 10 days of approval, a self-certification test, an indemnification/hold-harmless agreement, and a posted 2 sq ft exterior ID sign. Two high-density areas carry extra numeric caps, lottery selection, density spacing, and a 2-certificate-per-owner limit: WINE COUNTRY (Temecula Valley — Winery District cap 129, Equestrian 8, Residential 105, North Wine Country 16; 500-ft spacing; guests must be 25+; Class II 10–20 occupants only allowed in the Winery District) and IDYLLWILD/Pine Cove (cap 500; 150-ft spacing). Outside those two areas the county imposes no numeric cap. Violations are strict-liability administrative fines of $1,500 / $3,000 / $5,000, with permanent certificate revocation (no new certificate until all owners change) on failure to obey a law-enforcement order, 3 verified violations for the same STR in 12 months, 7 verified violations total, or a certificate obtained by fraud.

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • county Short Term Rental Certificate Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: annual · Applies to: All short-term rentals in the unincorporated area of Riverside County (residential dwellings rented <30 consecutive days, minimum 2 consecutive days and 1 night) · official page ↗
  • county Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: none (ongoing; certificate posted on premises) · Applies to: Every operator of an STR/hotel renting to transients in unincorporated Riverside County (an STR qualifies as a 'hotel' for Ordinance 495 purposes) · official page ↗
  • county Self-certification test and indemnification/hold-harmless agreement Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: each renewal · Applies to: Applicant and all Responsible Operators, at initial application and at each renewal · official page ↗
  • county Exterior noise monitor (continuous operation) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STRs; verified by exterior inspection before certificate issuance · official page ↗
  • county 24/7 Responsible Operator / Local Contact Person with 60-minute response Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STRs while rented · official page ↗
  • county Neighbor notification within 300 ft (or 600 ft if 5+ acres) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Owners of properties within 300 ft (<5 gross acres) or 600 ft (5+ gross acres) of the STR · official page ↗
  • county Posted exterior identification sign (2 sq ft) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STRs · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) — — — —

Operating rules

Primary residence
No
Min stay (nights)
1
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
200 square feet per person, capped by parcel size: max 10 persons for properties of one-half (1/2) acre or less; max 16 persons for more than 1/2 acre and up to 2 gross acres; max 20 persons for over 2 gross acres. In Wine Country, further limited by classification: Class I = 10 occupants max; Class II = >10 up to 20 occupants (Class II only allowed in the Winery District, subject to added conditions).
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
Yes

Grandfathering: yes

Zoning: Only a legal privately owned residential dwelling qualifies. Excluded (cannot obtain a certificate): any hotel, motel, studio hotel, rooming house, dormitory, public/private club, bed and breakfast inn, cottage inn or country inn, camping site, recreational vehicle or park model, hospital/sanitarium/medical clinic/convalescent facility, SB 9-subdivided lots (Gov. Code 65852.21 / 66411.7), single-room-occupancy units, employer-provided units, and units under legal deed restrictions prohibiting this use. Two mapped high-density sub-areas carry extra zoning-based limits: Wine Country (Temecula Valley Wine Country Policy Area — Winery, Equestrian, Residential, and North Wine Country districts) and Idyllwild/Pine Cove. STRs are treated as an ancillary/secondary residential use consistent with Land Use Ordinance No. 348.

  • Numeric caps apply ONLY in Wine Country and Idyllwild; the rest of unincorporated Riverside County has no numeric cap. Wine Country caps (verified vs Ord. 927.2): Winery District 129, Equestrian District 8, Residential District 105, North Wine Country 16. Idyllwild cap: 500. Caps are filled via a two-tier lottery: Tier 1 one-time selection for owners with existing booking transactions who paid TOT between September 13, 2021 and September 13, 2022, then semi-annual Tier 2 lotteries in January and July of each year.
  • Density spacing (verified): STRs may not be located within a 500-foot radius of another STR in Wine Country, or within a 150-foot radius in Idyllwild (measured from property line).
  • Ownership limit (verified): no Owner or Owner Entity may hold more than two (2) STR Certificates simultaneously in Wine Country (and likewise in Idyllwild); pre-existing holders as of the effective date are grandfathered and may renew but not add more.
  • Wine Country Responsible Guests must be at least twenty-five (25) years of age (verified).
  • Grandfathering: STR Caps and the 2-per-owner limit are not enforced against owners with an approved/existing certificate or holdings as of the ordinance effective date, subject to continued compliance and renewal.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Riverside County?
Short-term rentals (rental of a legal privately owned residential dwelling for occupancy for any period "less than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days total but not less than two (2) consecutive days and one (1) night") are LEGAL in the UNINCORPORATED areas of Riverside County only if the operator first obtains a Short Term Rental Certificate from the County Planning Department under Riverside County Ordinance No. 927 (codified as County Code Chapter 5.84). Per the ordinance's own signature block, Ordinance 927 was adopted 01/26/2016 (eff. 02/25/2016), amended by Ordinance 927.1 (adopted 10/18/2022, eff. 11/16/2022) and Ordinance 927.2 (adopted 12/12/2023, eff. 01/11/2024 — the current in-effect version). NOTE: a proposed Ordinance 927.3 (redline web-posted dated 5-7-26) was pending Board of Supervisors consideration as of mid-July 2026 and would raise fees and strengthen compliance, but is NOT yet adopted. The STR Certificate must be renewed ANNUALLY, a separate certificate is required for each property, and certificates do NOT run with the land — they expire automatically when the owner/responsible party changes (a limited family-transfer exception exists in Wine Country and Idyllwild only). Operators must also register with the Treasurer-Tax Collector for a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate under Ordinance No. 495 and collect/remit a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (an STR is treated as a "hotel" for Ordinance 495 purposes); additional TBID/TMD assessments may also apply. Occupancy is capped at 200 sq ft/person and by parcel size (10 persons for ≤1/2 acre; 16 for >1/2 up to 2 gross acres; 20 for over 2 gross acres). Operational rules include an exterior noise monitor in continuous operation (per Ord. 847), 10 PM–7 AM quiet hours, on-site-only parking (off-site parking prohibited), 24/7 responsible-operator availability with 60-minute complaint response, neighbor notification (300 ft if <5 gross acres; 600 ft if ≥5 gross acres) within 10 days of approval, a self-certification test, an indemnification/hold-harmless agreement, and a posted 2 sq ft exterior ID sign. Two high-density areas carry extra numeric caps, lottery selection, density spacing, and a 2-certificate-per-owner limit: WINE COUNTRY (Temecula Valley — Winery District cap 129, Equestrian 8, Residential 105, North Wine Country 16; 500-ft spacing; guests must be 25+; Class II 10–20 occupants only allowed in the Winery District) and IDYLLWILD/Pine Cove (cap 500; 150-ft spacing). Outside those two areas the county imposes no numeric cap. Violations are strict-liability administrative fines of $1,500 / $3,000 / $5,000, with permanent certificate revocation (no new certificate until all owners change) on failure to obey a law-enforcement order, 3 verified violations for the same STR in 12 months, 7 verified violations total, or a certificate obtained by fraud.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Riverside County?
Yes — Riverside County requires: Short Term Rental Certificate; Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate; Self-certification test and indemnification/hold-harmless agreement. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Riverside County?
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

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Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.