Local Airbnb rules2026 24 sources cited
Is Airbnb Legal in Joshua Tree? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes
Airbnb is legal in Joshua Tree with a San Bernardino County permit ($1,144 new, $550 to renew). Owners need not live there, 12 guests is the cap, unpermitted rentals face $1,000-a-day fines, and the hotel tax is 7%.2,7,8,9,10,11
From 22 official sources and 2 Airbnb help pages. Not legal advice.
The short answer
Joshua Tree Airbnb Rules in Brief
- County permit required before advertising: $1,144 for a new permit and $550 to renew each year with no changes.
- No primary-residence rule, but each owner is limited to two permits and a parcel under 2 acres to one permit.
- Maximum 12 overnight guests, set by bedroom count; a 24-hour contact must reach the property within one hour.
- 7% county hotel tax, collected by Airbnb; fines run $1,000, $2,000, then $5,000 per citation.
Browse the live Joshua Tree Airbnb market See Every Joshua Tree ListingRevenue, occupancy and nightly rates are in the Joshua Tree Airbnb market report .
At a glance
Joshua Tree Airbnb Rules at a Glance
- Permit required
- Yes
- Taxes on a stay
- 7%
- Fine for hosting without a permit
- $5,000
- Listings showing a permit number
- 98%
- Next rule change
- Jul 1, 2027
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
The rules a Joshua Tree host meets first, each linked to the ordinance, statute or official page it comes from. Details and exceptions follow below.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Permit | County permit required before advertising8 |
| Who can host | Owners do not have to live in the home8,11,17 |
| Where | Allowed in the Desert and Mountain Regions2,7 |
| Building rules | No permits for apartments in multi-family projects8 |
| Night cap | No annual night cap; stays up to 30 nights2,7 |
| Guests | No more than 12 overnight guests2,15 |
| Listing display | Permit number and occupancy on every listing8,11 |
| Platforms | Federal rule: total price must be shown6 |
| Safety | Fire and carbon monoxide detectors required7,11 |
| Neighbors | 24-hour contact within 30 minutes7,11 |
Your home
Can You Host an Airbnb in Joshua Tree? It Depends on the Home
Whether you can host in Joshua Tree turns on whose home it is and whether you live there.
Permit
Do You Need a Permit for Airbnb in Joshua Tree?
Yes. Short-term rental hosts in Joshua Tree need the short-term rental permit from San Bernardino County Land Use Services, Code Enforcement Division. It costs $1,144 in the first year (A new permit costs $1,144 ($600 application, $285 permit and $259 neighbor notification fees) and each annual renewal with no changes costs $550. A one-time $150 credit applies when the host installs an approved outdoor noise monitor. Card payments carry a convenience fee.) and $550 a year to renew and must be renewed every year.2,7,8,9,10,11
- Who needs it
- Every owner of a home, guest house or room in unincorporated Joshua Tree rented for 30 days or fewer, before advertising or renting it.2,7,8,9,10,11
- Issued by
- San Bernardino County Land Use Services, Code Enforcement Division
- Valid for
- One year; renew every year. A late renewal draws a delinquent fee, and the permit closes if payment is not received within 45 days of expiry. The permit does not transfer to a new owner or another property.
- Processing
- About one week for staff to check an application, then a 20-day neighbor comment period and a 30-day appeal period before a new permit takes effect; a renewal may keep operating while it is processed if the home has no outstanding violations.
- On listings
- The number must appear on every listing
- Platform checks
- The county requires its permit number on the listing on every hosting platform, the advertised occupancy must match the permit, and the county says it uses various programs to confirm listing information. It can also subpoena platforms for listing addresses.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (new permit)Paid with a new application, and again with a renewal that changes the building or the management or occupancy details. | $600 |
| Permit fee (new permit)Paid with a new application and with a renewal that involves physical changes to the property. | $285 |
| Surrounding property owner notification feeCovers the county's mailed notice to neighbors; also charged when the property manager, 24-hour contact or occupancy changes. An additional $60 applies to a change made outside a renewal. | $259 |
| Annual renewal, no changesRenewal application fee when nothing about the permit has changed. | $550 |
| Renewal with physical changes (inspection)$600 application fee plus $285 permit fee. | $885 |
| Renewal with property management or occupancy changes$600 application fee plus the $259 neighbor notification fee; a renewal with both physical and management or occupancy changes costs $1,144. | $859 |
| Application fee (new permit)Scheduled increase in the county's fee ordinance. | $618 |
| Permit fee (new permit)Scheduled increase in the county's fee ordinance. | $293 |
| Surrounding property owner notification feeScheduled increase in the county's fee ordinance. | $266 |
| Annual renewal, no changesScheduled increase in the county's fee ordinance. | $566 |
Who qualifies
- Home in the unincorporated Mountain or Desert Region of the county; Joshua Tree is in the Desert Region
- Single-family home, duplex, condominium, guest house, a room in a dwelling, or an eligible accessory dwelling unit
- Not eligible: an individual apartment in a multi-family project, or an RV, travel trailer, tent, yurt or recreation cabin
- The applicant owns the property, verified by a recorded grant deed; a purchase in progress cannot apply yet
- No more than two permits per parcel of 2 acres or more and one per smaller parcel; no more than two permits per owner
- The home passes an exterior inspection and meets the county's occupancy, parking and safety standards
How to apply
- Confirm the home is in unincorporated Joshua Tree, is an eligible type of dwelling, and that the owner's name matches the recorded grant deed.
- Register and sign in to the county's EZ Online Permitting (EZOP) site and submit the short-term rental application with its attachments, including the owner acknowledgement and safety requirements, the transient occupancy tax form and a plot plan.
- County staff review the application, about one week on average, then email the fees; pay them online or by phone.
- The county mails a notice to surrounding property owners, who have 20 calendar days to comment, and inspects the outside of the property.
- Once approved, the permit takes effect on the first business day after a 30-day appeal period.
- Register with the county Tax Collector for the transient occupancy tax, post the permit and the Good Neighbor brochure inside the home, and put the permit number and the permitted occupancy on every listing.
Applications go through the San Bernardino County Land Use Services, Code Enforcement Division application portal .
Permit rules
- County permit required before advertising
- A San Bernardino County short-term rental permit is required to advertise or rent a home for 30 days or fewer in the unincorporated desert and mountain areas, which include Joshua Tree.8
- At most two permits per owner
- An owner, counting full and partial ownership, cannot hold more than two permits, unless a permit already existed before the county's July 2022 ordinance update.11,20 In force since July 28, 2022
- Post the permit and brochure inside the home
- The permit, the Good Neighbor brochure and an emergency evacuation map must be posted inside the home, with the address, the 24-hour contact, the maximum occupants and the parking areas.8,11
- Permit number and occupancy on every listing
- Every listing on a hosting platform must carry the county permit number and state the maximum permitted occupants, and may not advertise more guests than the permit allows.8,11
- No advertising before the permit is issued
- Advertising a home before the permit is issued, or while it is suspended or revoked, is prohibited.11
- Permit lasts one year
- A permit is valid for one year and renews annually; if the renewal payment and any delinquent fee are not received within 45 days of expiry, the permit closes and a new application is needed.8
- A sale ends the permit
- A permit does not pass to a new owner or to another property; a buyer must submit a new application, though a home with a previous owner's permit may keep operating if the buyer applies within 30 days of taking title and there are no outstanding violations.2,8,10
- 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.5 In force since July 1, 2024
- Federal rule: total price must be shown
- Since May 12, 2025 a federal rule requires any advertised price for a short-term rental to show the total price, including mandatory fees, and it covers platforms as well as hosts.6 In force since May 12, 2025
- State law lets counties require platform reporting
- California's Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025 (SB 346) applies only in a county or city that adopts an ordinance making it applicable; where adopted, platforms must report listing addresses and show local license numbers and tax certification in each listing.4
Who can host
Who Can Host an Airbnb in Joshua Tree, and Where
California state law applies on top of Joshua Tree's own rules: the California short-term rental regulations page covers the state license and what cities and counties can and can't regulate.
- Allowed in the Desert and Mountain Regions
- County rules allow short-term rentals only in the Mountain and Desert Regions, where the home's zoning allows the use; Joshua Tree lies in the Desert Region.2,7
- Houses, duplexes, guest houses and rooms qualify
- A single-family home, duplex, room in a dwelling, guest house or some accessory dwelling units can be permitted; yurts, travel trailers and RVs cannot.7,19
- No permits for apartments in multi-family projects
- An individual apartment inside a multi-family residential project cannot receive a short-term rental permit.8 Applies to: Apartments
Operating rules
Operating Rules for Joshua Tree Short-Term Rentals
- No more than 12 overnight guests
- County code caps occupancy at 12 people for any short-term rental, however large the house.2,15
- Occupancy follows the bedroom count
- The permitted number of guests comes from the bedrooms on county records: four for a studio or one bedroom, six for two, eight for three, ten for four and twelve for five. Kitchens, living rooms and dens do not count as bedrooms.2,11
- Guests must park on the property
- All guest vehicles must park on the rental property; the permit sets the number of vehicles, and street and off-site parking are prohibited.8,11
- Noise that disturbs the peace is unlawful
- It is unlawful for an owner, renter or guest to make loud or intrusive noise that disturbs the peace, judged by a reasonable-person standard; the county advises quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.10,13
- 24-hour contact within 30 minutes
- The owner or agent must be reachable by phone around the clock, answer within 30 minutes and reach the property within one hour to fix complaints, and must answer Code Enforcement within 30 minutes of a call.7,11
- No weddings, filming or conferences
- A short-term rental may not be used for commercial activity such as weddings, corporate retreats, conferences or photo and film shoots unless a separate county permit covers it.7
- Neighbors are notified and can appeal
- The county mails a notice of each new application to surrounding property owners, who have 20 calendar days to comment, and a new permit is issued on the first business day after a 30-day appeal period.8,10 Applies to: New permits
- Fire and carbon monoxide detectors required
- Units must have fire and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers as required, hot tubs must be covered and locked when not in use, and the owner signs a safety acknowledgement with the application.7,11
- No annual night cap; stays up to 30 nights
- Chapter 84.28 sets no limit on the number of nights a permitted home can be rented in a year and no minimum stay; a short-term rental is one of 30 consecutive calendar days or less.2,7
- Register with the Tax Collector for the hotel tax
- An operator renting to guests for 30 days or less must register with the county Tax Collector within 30 days of starting and file a return by the end of the month after each calendar quarter.3
Taxes
How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Joshua Tree?
7% on the nightly price and cleaning fee; Joshua Tree is unincorporated, so no city tax is added.
- Median nightly rate, booked nights
- $250
- Taxes on that night (7%)
- $18
- Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees
- $268
| Tax | Rate | Collected by |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino County transient occupancy tax (hotel tax) 7% of the rent charged, including cleaning fees, on stays of 30 nights or fewer | 7%3,24 | Airbnb |
At Joshua Tree's median booked rate of $250 a night, the taxes collected on a booking come to about $18 a night.
What the host still handles
- A transient occupancy tax registration certificate from the San Bernardino County Tax Collector, within 30 days of starting to rent; the county's tax form is part of the permit application
- Quarterly transient occupancy tax returns, due by the last day of the month after each calendar quarter, with records kept for at least three years
- No county business license: the Clerk of the Board does not issue licenses for businesses in the unincorporated area3,10,18,24
Fines
How to Avoid Airbnb Fines in Joshua Tree
Fines in Joshua Tree fall on hosting without the short-term rental permit, or outside the rules above. With it in hand and the rules followed, none of the fines below apply.
- Administrative citations for confirmed violations run $1,000 for the first, $2,000 for the second and $5,000 for the third, and the county may also modify, suspend or revoke the permit.8,12
- Operating without a valid permit: an administrative fine of $1,000 per violation per day, or up to six months in county jail, or both.8
- Renting while a permit is suspended or revoked is fined up to $1,000 per day.11
- After a revocation becomes final, the owner cannot apply for a new permit for 12 months.11
- Guests can be cited for noise, parking and nuisance violations, with penalties that can reach $1,000.10
- A late hotel tax return carries a 10% penalty on the tax due, a second 10% penalty if still unpaid after 30 days, and interest of one-half of one percent a month.3
Changes
What's Changed in Joshua Tree's Airbnb Rules, and What's Next
One change is scheduled after October 20, 2026; the most recent rules are listed first.
- July 1, 2027 UpcomingScheduled increase in permit fees
The county's multi-year fee schedule for Code Enforcement lists a rise on July 1, 2027 to a $618 application fee, a $293 permit fee, a $266 notification fee and a $566 no-change renewal, so a new permit would cost $1,177. A further step on July 1, 2028 takes the application fee to $636.14
- October 13, 2025California adopts the Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act (SB 346)
The governor approved SB 346, which lets a county require platforms to report the address of each rental and show local license numbers in listings; it applies only where the county adopts an ordinance.4
- July 1, 2025
- June 11, 2024
- September 5, 2023New 24/7 complaint hotline
The county announced a new short-term rental complaint hotline, 1-833-SBC-STR1 (1-833-722-7871), which neighbors use to report unpermitted or noisy rentals.21
- July 28, 2022County's amended short-term rental ordinance takes effect
San Bernardino County's amendments to Chapter 84.28 took effect on July 28, 2022, after a short pause on new permits. Owners are limited to two permits unless a permit predates the update, and a one-time $150 fee credit for installing an outdoor noise monitor began the same day.11,13,20
Listing data
What Joshua Tree's Listings Show
AirROI, a short-term-rental data firm, counted 1,190 active Airbnb listings in Joshua Tree over the 12 months to September 2026. 98% of them displayed a permit, license or registration number.
Minimum stay set on Joshua Tree listings
Share of active listings by the shortest stay they accept
Minimum stay in numbers
| Shortest stay accepted | Share of listings |
|---|---|
| 1 night | 47% |
| 2 nights | 48% |
| 3 nights | 2% |
| 4–6 nights | <1% |
| 7–29 nights | 1% |
| 30+ nights | 1% |
What officials report
- 1,082
- Active short-term rental listings in Joshua Tree · as of June 2023The county's 2023 study counted 1,082 active short-term rental listings in Joshua Tree in June 2023, equal to 29% of the community's 3,764 single-family homes.17
Earnings
What Could a Joshua Tree Short-Term Rental Earn?
The rules shape the numbers: a permit that costs $1,144 in the first year and taxes of 7% that Airbnb adds to guests' bills. For a specific address, the Airbnb profit calculator estimates revenue, occupancy and nightly rate from comparable listings, so you can test the numbers before applying.
FAQ
Joshua Tree Airbnb Rules: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Airbnb legal in Joshua Tree?
Do I need a permit for Airbnb in Joshua Tree?
How much is the Joshua Tree short-term rental permit?
Can I rent a home I don't live in on Airbnb in Joshua Tree?
Does Airbnb collect hotel tax in Joshua Tree?
What is the hotel tax in Joshua Tree?
What is the fine for an illegal Airbnb in Joshua Tree?
How many guests can stay at a Joshua Tree Airbnb?
Is there a limit on how many nights I can host in Joshua Tree?
Can I own more than one short-term rental in Joshua Tree?
Do I need to show my permit number on my Airbnb listing in Joshua Tree?
Can I rent a guest house or accessory dwelling unit in Joshua Tree?
How many Joshua Tree Airbnbs are registered?
In AirROI's listing data, 98% of the 1,190 Joshua Tree Airbnb listings active in the 12 months to September 2026 displayed a permit, license or registration number. A number on a listing shows the host entered one; it doesn't confirm the permit is valid.
How much does an Airbnb make in Joshua Tree?
The average Joshua Tree listing earned $52,300 in the 12 months to September 2026, according to AirROI, averaged across every active listing including those booked for only part of the year. The Joshua Tree Airbnb market report breaks it down by month, property size and neighborhood.
Method
How These Rules Were Checked
Each rule on this page was checked in October 2026 against the official source cited beside it: the ordinance or statute, the permit office's own pages and the tax authority. Airbnb's help pages are cited on their own only for what Airbnb itself does, such as the taxes it collects and the permit checks it runs, and otherwise only beside an official source; news reports only for when a change was announced. Rules that could not be confirmed on an official page are left out. The county code pages on codelibrary.amlegal.com (Chapter 84.28) were read in a browser or from Internet Archive copies; section 14.0203 was read from an Internet Archive copy dated October 4, 2024 and its seven percent rate confirmed in a browser on the live page.
Rules change with council votes, court rulings and new state laws, so the page is rechecked every three months and whenever a scheduled change takes effect. It summarizes the rules for information and is not legal advice; the local authority has the final word on any application.
Listing figures come from AirROI's tracking of 1,190 active Joshua Tree Airbnb listings over the 12 months to September 2026.
Sources
Sources
Each rule above links to the source it comes from. Official ordinances, statutes and government pages come first, then Airbnb's own help pages.
- 1. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 - Occupancy taxes · California Legislative Information
- 2. San Bernardino County Code, Chapter 84.28: Short-Term Residential Rentals · San Bernardino County (American Legal Publishing)
- 3. San Bernardino County Code, section 14.0203: Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax · San Bernardino County (American Legal Publishing)
- 4. SB 346 Local agencies: transient occupancy taxes: short-term rental facilitator (Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025) · California Legislative Information
- 5. SB 478 - Hidden Fees (Honest Pricing Law) · California Attorney General
- 6. The Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions · Federal Trade Commission
- 7. About Short-Term Rentals · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 8. Short-Term Rentals FAQs · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 9. How much does a Short-Term Rental Permit cost? · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 10. Getting Started (application process and owner guide) · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 11. Short-Term Rental Program Operational Standards Guide (2024) · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 12. Short Term Rental Code Enforcement Process (2026) · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 13. Outdoor Noise Monitoring System · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 14. County Fee Ordinance: Code Enforcement fee schedule, fiscal years 2026-27 to 2028-29 · San Bernardino County Land Use Services
- 15. Short-term rental renewal acknowledgement form (STR-RA, rev. 03/2026) · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 16. Planning Home (2024 Housing Element Program 4: Short-Term Rental Study) · San Bernardino County Land Use Services
- 17. Technical Memorandum: Housing Element Program 4, Short-Term Rental Outreach and Study Findings (November 2023) · San Bernardino County Land Use Services
- 18. Business Licenses · San Bernardino County Clerk of the Board
- 19. What types of structures can be used as short-term rentals? · San Bernardino County Land Use Services
- 20. Short Term Rental Interim Urgency Ordinance · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 21. Announcements · San Bernardino County Code Enforcement
- 22. 2025-2026 Code Enforcement Schedule of Fees (revised 7-01-2025) · San Bernardino County Land Use Services
- 23. Responsible hosting in the United States · Airbnb Help Center
- 24. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in California · Airbnb Help Center