Is Airbnb Legal in Big Bear Lake? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

License required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

13%

Fine for hosting without a permit

$5,000

Listings showing a permit number

99%

Latest rule change

Jul 1, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

The owner of every home inside the city (zip code 92315) that is advertised or rented for 28 nights or fewer, with one license for each property.^3,5,6,8,10

Issued by

City of Big Bear Lake, Vacation Rental Program

Valid for

One year from the first payment, renewed every year. The license ends automatically when the home is sold, except for transfers between family members, spouses or into a family trust.

Processing

Up to four weeks to process a completed application; the registration and inspection process takes 4 to 6 weeks in all.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Platforms must require a valid license number in a dedicated field and must remove a listing after a city take-down notice; the city can also ask platforms for listing, host and booking data.

Fees

Who qualifies

• Home in an eligible zone and building type: single-family homes in R-L, R-1 and R-3, plus 2 to 4 attached units and condominiums in R-3
• Applicant holds title to the property (recorded deed or final escrow statement); a trust or company must list every person involved
• Current liability insurance, shown by the declaration pages
• Owner and agent certification exam passed with 100% each year
• No more than two licenses per owner, and no accessory dwelling unit rented

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm the home is inside the city (zip code 92315) and in an eligible zone.
2. 2 Gather proof of ownership, any LLC, corporation or trust documents naming everyone involved, and the insurance declaration pages, all as PDFs.
3. 3 Pass the owner and agent certification exam (25 questions, 100% required) and attach the certificate.
4. 4 Submit the online Vacation Rental Program Registration Application and pay the $635 fee, only once the home is ready for inspection.
5. 5 Complete the city inspection against the Vacation Rental Checklist; the home may not be rented or advertised until the license is issued.
6. 6 Print the emailed license and post it in the home, put the license number on every listing, and file the monthly hotel tax and tourism assessment return.

Permit rules

A city license is required before advertising or renting

Each home needs a current annual vacation rental license from the City of Big Bear Lake, issued to the owner, before it is advertised, offered or rented for 28 nights or fewer. The license has to stay current for as long as the home is advertised or rented.⁵

Inspection first: 4 to 6 weeks, and no renting meanwhile

After the online application the city sends inspection instructions against its checklist. The registration and inspection process takes 4 to 6 weeks, the home may not be rented during that time, and the city can inspect again at any time while the home is licensed.^5,10

Annual owner and agent exam

Agents who handle check-in, 24/7 response or management, and owners who run the rental themselves, must be certified by the city every year by passing a 25-question exam with a 100% score. An owner who hires a full-service management company and never rents the home personally is exempt.⁵

One-year license, renewed every year

A license runs for one year from the first payment and must be renewed annually. The city emails renewal notices starting 60 days before expiry, and an owner has 60 days after the city's written demand to finish a renewal or must apply again.⁵ In force since January 18, 2024

The license ends when the home is sold

A license expires automatically on a sale or change of ownership, and the new owner must apply for a new license after escrow closes. Transfers between family members or spouses, including into a family trust, do not end the license.⁶

License posted in the home and number on every advertisement

The license must be posted inside the rental, and the license number must appear on every advertisement, including listing sites, websites, social media, emails and print ads.⁶

Platforms must require the number and remove listings on request

Hosting platforms must require a valid license number in a dedicated field, remove a listing promptly after a city take-down notice, and give the city listing, host and booking data when it asks in writing.³

Advertised price must include mandatory fees

Since July 1, 2024, California's Honest Pricing Law (SB 478) bars a host or platform from advertising a short-term rental price that leaves out mandatory fees; government taxes and fees may be listed separately.⁴ In force since July 1, 2024

Up to two licenses per owner

One person or entity may hold no more than two vacation rental licenses, counting homes held through a trust or company, so owning shares of several LLCs does not raise the limit. Owners who held more than two on September 16, 2021 may keep renewing them.⁶

Eligible zones and building types

Single-family homes in the R-L, R-1 and R-3 zones are eligible, and in R-3 so are 2 to 4 attached units and condominiums. Apartment buildings of more than 4 units under one owner are not eligible, and commercial zones are closed to vacation rentals except a single-family home in village commercial.³

A property with an accessory dwelling unit: primary residence only

On a property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), the primary residence can be licensed but the ADU cannot be rented short term. The City Council amended the eligibility table on December 10, 2025 (Ordinance 2025-524).³ In force since December 2025

Home sharing: up to two bedrooms with the owner present

A home-sharing license covers renting no more than two bedrooms of a detached single-family home for 28 nights or fewer while the owner lives on site for the whole stay. The city's fee for it is $400.^3,8

Licenses go to owners, not tenants

The license is issued to the owner of record, and the code states that a holder of a leasehold interest is not an owner, so a tenant cannot hold a license.³

The rules cover rentals of 28 nights or fewer

The vacation rental code applies to a home, or part of a home, leased for 28 or fewer consecutive days, and it sets no minimum stay within that range.³

Two adults per bedroom plus two, and 16 people at most

Occupancy is capped at two adults per bedroom plus two more adults, with children under 18 not counted toward the adult figure. The total, children included, may not exceed one person per 200 square feet of living space or 16 people, whichever is less, and the limit is printed on the license.⁶

Gatherings above the limit need written city approval

No party, wedding or other gathering that exceeds the occupancy limit is allowed without written approval from the city manager at least 14 business days ahead.³

Off-street parking only

All guest vehicles, including trailers and boats, must fit in the legal off-street spaces on the property and never park on the street or a neighbor's lot. Gravel spaces approved for homes licensed before January 11, 2021 were allowed only until January 1, 2026.⁶ In force since January 1, 2026

Spa and noise limits: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Any activity that disturbs the peace, and any use of an outdoor spa, is prohibited between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Amplified sound may not be heard at the property line at any hour, and a dog barking beyond the property line is prohibited.^6,10

A 24/7 agent who can reach the home in 30 minutes

Every rental needs a certified 24/7 complaint-response agent whose phone number is on the exterior sign. The owner or agent must come to the home in person within 30 minutes when the city dispatches a notice.⁶

Guests sign the city's Good Neighbor Policy

The guest who rents the home signs the city's Good Neighbor Policy before or at check-in, in person or through a virtual check-in that verifies identities and a signed rental contract. The owner keeps each signed copy for one year and hands it to the city on request.⁶

Trash in containers or at Clean Big Bear sites

Trash may not be left in public view outside proper containers, and containers go out no earlier than 24 hours before collection. Guests can use curbside collection or take trash to a city-authorized Clean Big Bear site.⁶ In force since January 18, 2024

Fire and life-safety checklist

Homes must pass the city's checklist: smoke detectors in each bedroom, carbon monoxide detectors on every floor, a fire extinguisher on each floor, spark arresters and screens on fireplaces, an ash container, bedroom egress windows and lighted exits, covered or fenced spas, an exterior sign, and one parking space per bedroom.¹⁰

Proof of liability insurance with the application

New applicants must attach insurance declaration pages showing current liability coverage for the vacation rental, along with proof of ownership; an application without them is denied.⁵

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$350

Taxes on that night (13%)

$46

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$396

What the host still handles

• A monthly hotel tax and tourism assessment return on the city's GovPilot portal, due by the last day of the following month, including months with no income and bookings on platforms that remit the tax
• The 3% tourism assessment on Airbnb bookings, paid to the city directly, and the full 13% on bookings made outside a platform that collects it^5,7,14

• Renting or advertising without a current license, or advertising without a valid license number: $1,500 for the first citation, $2,500 for the second within 12 months and $5,000 for each one after that. A person cited can be barred from operating any vacation rental in the city, and the property cannot be licensed for a year.^3,6
• Other violations of the vacation rental code, such as over-occupancy, street parking, noise or trash: $500 for the first, $1,000 for the second within 12 months and $1,500 for the third and later ones. A third violation in 12 months can lead to license suspension or revocation.^3,6
• A citation can be issued to the owner, the agent, the hosting platform or the guest who rented the home, and each violation is a separate citation even when several happen on the same day.³
• Two or more late tax submittals in a 12-month period mean the license is not renewed, and the city will not renew a license while taxes or fines are unpaid unless the owner has a payment agreement.³

1. July 1, 2026
   License fee rises from $605 to $635

   The city's master fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 sets the vacation rental fee at $635 per property per year, up from $605 on the schedule of October 12, 2025.^8,9

2. May 13, 2026
   Council amends the hotel tax chapter

   The City Council adopted Ordinance 2026-528 amending portions of Chapter 3.20, Transient Occupancy Tax.⁷

3. January 1, 2026
   Gravel parking allowance ends

   Gravel parking spaces approved for homes licensed before January 11, 2021 were allowed only until January 1, 2026, after which parking must meet the code.⁶

4. December 10, 2025
   Eligibility table amended for properties with an ADU

   Ordinance 2025-524 amended the vacation rental eligibility table; a property with an accessory dwelling unit may license its primary residence but not the unit.³

5. October 13, 2025
   California's Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act signed

   SB 346 lets a city or county require booking platforms to report rental addresses and show local license numbers on listings once the local agency adopts an ordinance applying the act.²

6. January 1, 2025
   Hotel tax reaches 10%

   The transient occupancy tax rose from 9% to 10% on January 1, 2025, bringing the total with the 3% tourism assessment to 13%.⁷

7. January 1, 2024
   Hotel tax rises to 9%

   Under Measure P, Big Bear Lake's transient occupancy tax rose from 8% to 9% on January 1, 2024.⁷

8. December 19, 2023
   Ordinance 2023-518 rewrites the vacation rental chapter

   The Council repealed and replaced Chapter 4.01. The city lists the lower fines (first unlicensed violation $1,500), the 60-day renewal warning system and new trash options as effective January 18, 2024.^3,6

9. November 8, 2022 Lapsed
   Voters reject a 1,500-license cap

   Measure O, a citizens' initiative to cap licenses at 1,500 and rental contracts at 30 a year per property, failed with 41.39% yes and 58.61% no.^12,13

10. August 16, 2021
    Permanent vacation rental ordinance

    Ordinance 2021-495 replaced the urgency ordinance with annual licensing, a two-license limit per owner and required paved parking by 2026.^5,11

11. January 11, 2021
    Urgency ordinance during the pandemic surge

    The City Council adopted urgency Ordinance 2021-488, setting occupancy, noise and 30-minute response rules and large fines for unlicensed rentals.^3,11

Estimate what a Big Bear Lake home could earn

1. 1. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 - Occupancy taxes · California Legislative Information
2. 2. SB 346 - Local agencies: transient occupancy taxes: short-term rental facilitator (Chapter 751, Statutes of 2025) · California Legislative Information
3. 3. Municipal Code Chapter 4.01 - Vacation Rentals · City of Big Bear Lake (Municode)
4. 4. SB 478 - Hidden Fees (Honest Pricing Law) · California Attorney General
5. 5. Vacation Rental Program · City of Big Bear Lake
6. 6. Frequently Asked Questions - Vacation Rental Program · City of Big Bear Lake
7. 7. Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) & BBLTBID · City of Big Bear Lake
8. 8. Master Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026 · City of Big Bear Lake
9. 9. Master Fee Schedule, effective October 12, 2025 · City of Big Bear Lake
10. 10. Vacation Rental Checklist · City of Big Bear Lake
11. 11. Vacation Rental Ordinance Informational Workshops (history of the ordinance) · City of Big Bear Lake
12. 12. City of Big Bear Lake Measure O - statement of vote, November 8, 2022 · San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters
13. 13. City Attorney's Impartial Analysis of the vacation rental initiative measure (Measure O), November 2022 · City of Big Bear Lake
14. 14. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in California · Airbnb Help Center