Local Airbnb rules2026 22 sources cited

Is Airbnb Legal in Palm Springs? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Yes: Palm Springs allows short stays in single-family homes with a $1,046 annual city certificate, capped at 26 rental contracts a year on new permits (32 on older ones), with 11.5% hotel tax plus a 1% tourism assessment.^{3,4,8,9,10,11,14,20}

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Rules checked October 17, 2026

From 19 official sources, 2 Airbnb help pages and 1 news report. Not legal advice.

The short answer

Palm Springs Airbnb Rules in Brief

Single-family homes only, with an annual city registration certificate: $1,046 for a vacation rental, $523 for a junior certificate and $261 for a homeshare.
26 rental contracts a year for permits applied for after October 17, 2022; 32 plus up to 4 summer contracts for earlier permits; 6 for a junior certificate.
No new standard certificates in a neighborhood where certificates reach 20% of homes; one certificate per owner and none for business entities.
Hotel tax of 11.5% plus a 1% tourism assessment, filed monthly with the city; fines run from $500 to $10,000.

Browse the live Palm Springs Airbnb market Search by revenue, occupancy and neighborhood on an interactive map See Every Palm Springs Listing

Revenue, occupancy and nightly rates are in the Palm Springs Airbnb market report .

At a glance

Palm Springs Airbnb Rules at a Glance

Registration required: Yes
Taxes on a stay: 12.5%
Fine for hosting without a permit: $10,000
Listings showing a permit number: 47%
Next rule change: Dec 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

The rules a Palm Springs host meets first, each linked to the ordinance, statute or official page it comes from. Details and exceptions follow below.

Palm Springs Airbnb Rules at a Glance
Topic	Rule
Permit	Registration certificate required³
Who can host	One certificate per owner³
Where	20% neighborhood cap on new certificates^3,14
Building rules	HOA letter on every application and renewal³
Night cap	26 rental contracts a year on new permits^3,8
Minimum stay	Rules cover stays of 28 days or less³
Guests	Two guests per bedroom, eight at most³
Listing display	City account number in every ad³
Platforms	Platforms may not book unregistered homes^4,8
Safety	Annual building, fire and safety inspection^3,9
Insurance	At least $500,000 of liability insurance^3,9
Neighbors	24/7 local contact within 15 and 30 minutes³

Your home

Can You Host an Airbnb in Palm Springs? It Depends on the Home

Whether you can host in Palm Springs turns on whose home it is and whether you live there.

A second home or investment single-family house, rented whole while you're away

Allowed with conditions

Allowed with a vacation rental certificate ($1,046 a year) if you own the house as an individual, trust or partnership of up to four people, hold no other certificate and the neighborhood is below its 20% cap. A new permit allows 26 contracts a year.^3,8,14

Rooms in your own home while you live there

Allowed with conditions

Allowed with a homeshare certificate ($261 a year). There is no annual contract cap, but you must live on site or be able to respond to complaints within 30 minutes, or the home is treated as a vacation rental.^3,8

A house in an HOA community

Allowed with conditions

Allowed only if the HOA board or management company provides a dated letter on letterhead confirming that no CC&R prohibits or limits vacation rental use; the letter is needed again at every renewal.³

An apartment or other unit in a multifamily building

Not allowed

No one may offer an apartment, or any part of one, for rent for 28 consecutive days or less, and owners may not evict tenants to convert an apartment to a vacation rental.³

A home you rent as a tenant

Not allowed

Only the owner of record can apply for a certificate, so a tenant cannot register the home for short stays.³

A guesthouse or accessory dwelling unit

Not allowed

An accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit may not be rented for less than 30 days, regardless of when it was built.³

Permit

Do You Need a Permit for Airbnb in Palm Springs?

Yes. Short-term rental hosts in Palm Springs need the vacation rental registration certificate from the City of Palm Springs, Department of Special Program Compliance. It costs $1,071 in the first year (A one-home host pays $1,046 for the certificate plus a one-time $25 transient occupancy tax permit in the first year (about $1,071), then $1,046 each year; homes with five or more bedrooms add a one-time $647 land use permit.) and $1,046 a year to renew and must be renewed every year.^{3,4,8,9,10,11,14,20}

Who needs it: Any owner who rents a single-family home, or rooms in the home they live in, for 28 consecutive days or less.^{3,4,8,9,10,11,14,20}
Issued by: City of Palm Springs, Department of Special Program Compliance
Valid for: One year. The certificate is renewed every year with a new building, fire and safety inspection, the annual city test and, in an HOA, a fresh HOA letter, and it ends when the home is sold.
Processing: 30 to 90 days; the home may not be advertised or rented until the city gives written authorization.
On listings: The number must appear on every listing
Platform checks: A city ordinance adopted July 8, 2026 makes it unlawful for a booking platform to complete a booking unless the home is on the city's registry, and requires every listing to show the city account number; platforms must also report rental addresses to the city each month.

Fees

Fees
Fee	Amount	When
Vacation rental registration certificateNew and annual registration fee set by Resolution 25344, effective December 1, 2025; non-refundable.	$1,046	annual
Junior vacation rental certificateHalf-price certificate limited to six rental contracts a year.	$523	annual
Homeshare certificateFor an owner who lives on site while guests stay; no annual contract cap.	$261	annual
Transient occupancy tax permitRegisters the home to file the monthly hotel tax return; non-refundable.	$25	one-time
Estate home land use permitOnly for homes with five or more bedrooms.	$647	one-time
Certificate transferCharged when a certificate moves between an owner and an agency or between agencies.	$222	per transfer

Who qualifies

The applicant must be the owner of record: a natural person, a personal or family trust, or a partnership or LLC of no more than four natural persons; business entities cannot hold a certificate
One certificate per owner, covering one home, and the same limit applies to homeshares
A single-family dwelling only; apartments cannot be rented for 28 days or less, and accessory dwelling units cannot be rented for less than 30 days
The home must be in a neighborhood where certificates are below the 20% cap, or the application goes on a waiting list
A dated letter from the HOA board or management company confirming no CC&R prohibits or limits rentals, where the home is in an HOA
Government ID, proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000, a building, fire and safety inspection, and a passed annual city test
Applications are not accepted while the property is in escrow

How to apply

Check the home's neighborhood percentage on the city's density page; if certificates already reach 20% of homes there, the application is returned and the owner can join the neighborhood waiting list.
Send the Vacation Rental Application Request Form to the city to receive an account code and an activation code.
Create a GovOS account at palmspringsca.munirevs.com, complete the online application and upload the ownership form, pool certification, friends and family list, safety inspection form, HOA letter, government ID and proof of insurance.
Register for a transient occupancy tax permit, pay the fees online and pass the city's annual education test.
Wait for written authorization from the Vacation Rental Compliance Department before advertising or renting; processing takes 30 to 90 days.

Applications go through the City of Palm Springs, Department of Special Program Compliance application portal .

Permit rules

Registration certificate required: Running a vacation rental or a homeshare without a city registration certificate is prohibited, and the certificate is a privilege, not a right.³ In force since November 28, 2022
No advertising until the city authorizes: An applicant may not advertise or rent the home until the Vacation Rental Compliance Department gives written authorization; processing runs 30 to 90 days, and applications are not accepted while the home is in escrow.¹⁰
Annual city training and test: Each applicant and the owner's agent must attend the city's education program and pass a test every year before a certificate is issued or renewed.³
City account number in every ad: The certificate and maximum guest count must be posted in the home and shown on all advertising, with the city account number in the property description of each listing.³
Platforms may not book unregistered homes: Under the ordinance adopted July 8, 2026, a platform may not complete a booking unless the home is on the city's registry, and it must show the city account number in the listing and report rental addresses monthly.^4,8 Applies to: Booking platforms · In force since July 8, 2026
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.⁶ In force since July 1, 2024
Federal total-price rule: Since May 12, 2025 a federal rule requires any advertised price for short-term lodging to show the total price, including mandatory fees; taxes and other government charges may be shown separately.^2,7 In force since May 12, 2025

Who can host

Who Can Host an Airbnb in Palm Springs, and Where

California state law applies on top of Palm Springs's own rules: the California short-term rental regulations page covers the state license and what cities and counties can and can't regulate.

Single-family homes only: Vacation rentals and homesharing are limited to single-family dwelling units and barred in apartments, and no one may offer an apartment unit, or any part of one, for rent for 28 consecutive days or less.^3,8 In force since November 28, 2022
20% neighborhood cap on new certificates: The city issues no new standard certificate in a neighborhood where certificates equal 20% of its residential units, and applications go on a waiting list in first-come order; junior certificates are not counted against the cap.^3,14 In force since November 28, 2022
One certificate per owner: An owner can hold one vacation rental or homeshare certificate at a time, and a spouse's or partner's interest counts as the owner's own.³
Business entities cannot hold a certificate: A certificate is issued only to an owner of record who is a natural person, a personal or family trust, or a partnership or LLC of no more than four natural persons; tenants and companies cannot apply.³
Accessory dwelling units: 30-night minimum: An accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit may not be rented for less than 30 days, whenever it was built.³ In force since July 8, 2026
Homeshare: owner lives on site: An owner who hosts guests in their own home while living on site needs a homeshare certificate, which has no annual contract cap; if the owner is not on site and cannot respond within 30 minutes, the home is treated as a vacation rental.³
HOA letter on every application and renewal: A home with CC&Rs needs a dated letter on letterhead from the HOA board or its management company stating that nothing in the CC&Rs prohibits or limits vacation rental use; the certificate is revoked if the CC&Rs later ban it.³ Applies to: Homes in an HOA

Operating rules

Operating Rules for Palm Springs Short-Term Rentals

26 rental contracts a year on new permits: A property that applied after October 17, 2022 may have no more than 26 vacation rental contracts in a calendar year. A property that held or applied for a certificate by that date may have 32, plus up to four more that fall entirely in July through September.^3,8 In force since November 12, 2025
Earlier permits: 32 contracts plus 4 in summer: Ordinance 2118 removed the cut to 26 that was due on January 1, 2026, so older permits keep 32 contracts a year plus four extra contracts whose whole term falls in the third quarter.^3,8 Applies to: Permits issued or applied for by October 17, 2022 · In force since November 12, 2025
Junior certificate: 6 contracts: A junior vacation rental certificate costs half as much and allows six rental contracts a year.^3,8 Applies to: Junior certificate holders · In force since November 28, 2022
Up to five friends and family stay free of the cap: An owner can file a list of up to five people who may stay at no cost without the owner present; their stays do not count toward the annual contract cap, but a contract summary is still filed for each.³ Applies to: Vacation rental certificate holders
Rules cover stays of 28 days or less: The registration rules apply to rentals of 28 consecutive days or less, and the city sets no minimum number of nights inside that range; longer stays fall outside the ordinance.³
Two guests per bedroom, eight at most: Overnight occupancy is limited to two people per bedroom and eight in total, plus two children aged 12 or under and four daytime guests; estate homes with five or more bedrooms can reach 12. Guests may bring one vehicle per bedroom overnight.³ Applies to: Vacation rentals
24/7 local contact within 15 and 30 minutes: The owner or a local contact must be reachable around the clock, answer a complaint by phone within 15 minutes and, if it is not resolved, reach the home in person within 30 minutes.³ Applies to: Vacation rentals
No sound audible at the property line: Music and amplified sound must stay inside the closed home and may not be audible at the property line.³ Applies to: Vacation rentals
Written contract and summary for every stay: Each stay needs a written contract with a responsible renter aged 25 or older, who provides ID and a guest list, and a summary of the contract is filed with the city before the stay.³ Applies to: Vacation rentals
Annual building, fire and safety inspection: The home passes a building, fire and safety inspection before the first certificate and again before every renewal, and a pool certification is part of the application.^3,9 Applies to: Vacation rentals and homeshares
At least $500,000 of liability insurance: Owners must carry commercial insurance that covers short-term rental, and the city asks for proof of liability cover of at least $500,000 with the application.^3,9

Taxes

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Palm Springs?

About 12.5% of the rent: 11.5% hotel tax plus the 1% tourism assessment, with no lodging sales tax on top.

12.5% in all

How the 12.5% on a Palm Springs stay splits between the taxes in the table below

Median nightly rate, booked nights: $415
Taxes on that night (12.5%): $52
Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees: $467

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Palm Springs?
Tax	Rate	Collected by
Palm Springs transient occupancy tax (hotel tax) 11.5% of the rent charged, on stays of 28 consecutive days or less	11.5%^1,4,13	Host
Greater Palm Springs tourism assessment (GPSTBID) 1% of gross rental revenue on short stays, remitted with the monthly hotel tax return	1%¹²	Host

Total on a stay 12.5% · All by the host

At Palm Springs's median booked rate of $415 a night, the taxes collected on a booking come to about $52 a night.

What the host still handles

A City of Palm Springs transient occupancy tax (TOT) permit, applied for with the registration certificate
A monthly TOT and tourism assessment return filed online with the city's GovOS portal, due on the last working day of the following month and filed even when no guests stayed
A contract summary for each stay, submitted through the city's contract summary tool before the guests arrive^{4,12,13,17,21}

Fines

How to Avoid Airbnb Fines in Palm Springs

Fines in Palm Springs fall on hosting without the vacation rental registration certificate, or outside the rules above. With it in hand and the rules followed, none of the fines below apply.

Continuing to operate without a certificate after a first violation: an administrative fine of $10,000, with later violations on an escalating scale set by the council. A first violation is a $5,000 fine plus the unpaid hotel tax and permanent ineligibility to hold a certificate.³
Advertising without the certificate number, renting without a contract or contract summary, or paying hotel tax late: a $2,500 fine and a six-month suspension for a first offense, then $5,000 and revocation for a second.³
Any other violation of the vacation rental chapter: an administrative citation of $500 for the first violation and $1,000 for each later one, issued to the owner without a courtesy notice; a citation is paid or appealed within 15 calendar days of the mailing date.^3,15
A third violation within 12 months suspends the certificate for two years, and a failure to remit hotel tax after written notice suspends it for 12 months.³
Using residential property in violation of the chapter is a misdemeanor for each day it continues.³
A late hotel tax return costs the greater of $50 or 10% of the tax due, plus interest of 1% a month.^4,12
A platform that fails to report addresses is cited under the $500 and $1,000 schedule, and one that omits the city account number from a listing or books an unregistered home faces the $2,500 fine.⁴

Changes

What's Changed in Palm Springs's Airbnb Rules, and What's Next

One change is scheduled after October 20, 2026; the most recent rules are listed first.

December 1, 2026 Upcoming
1% Tourism Infrastructure District assessment on lodging
In April 2026 the council approved a resolution of intention for a citywide district in which hotels, small hotels and short-term rentals collect and remit a 1% assessment on stays to fund Convention Center improvements. Local reporting says the council approved the district on May 27, 2026 with collection starting December 1, 2026.^17,18,19,22
July 8, 2026
Ordinance 2133 updates the rules and adds platform duties
The council amended Chapter 5.25 and the appeals process, and added section 3.24.085, which requires platforms to report rental addresses each month, show the city account number in listings and book only registered homes.^3,4,8
December 1, 2025
New vacation rental fees take effect
Resolution 25344 set the registration fee at $1,046 for a vacation rental, $523 for a junior certificate and $261 for a homeshare, with a $647 estate home land use permit, a $222 transfer fee and a $1,324 appeal fee.⁸
November 12, 2025
Ordinance 2118 cancels the cut in rental contracts
Ordinance 2118 removed the reduction that would have lowered older permits from 32 to 26 contracts a year on January 1, 2026, so existing permittees keep 32 plus four summer contracts.^3,8
October 13, 2025
California signs the Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act
SB 346 lets any city require platforms to report rental addresses and show local license numbers in listings; it applies only where a city adopts an ordinance, which Palm Springs did in July 2026.⁵
November 28, 2022
Ordinance 2075 restates the vacation rental ordinance
Palm Springs adopted Ordinance 2075, which limited vacation rentals to single-family homes, set a 20% certificate cap in each organized neighborhood, introduced the junior certificate and set the 26-contract cap for new permits.^3,8

Listing data

What Palm Springs's Listings Show

AirROI, a short-term-rental data firm, counted 3,490 active Airbnb listings in Palm Springs over the 12 months to September 2026. 47% of them displayed a permit, license or registration number.

Minimum stay set on Palm Springs listings

Share of active listings by the shortest stay they accept

21%

33%

15%

18%

Minimum stay in numbers

Minimum stay set on Palm Springs listings
Shortest stay accepted	Share of listings
1 night	7%
2 nights	21%
3 nights	33%
4–6 nights	15%
7–29 nights	18%
30+ nights	5%

What officials report

236: Citations issued by Special Program Compliance · as of December 2024The city issued 236 vacation rental citations in 2024, for failures to register, to post the permit number or to respond, and for violations at rentals.¹⁶

Earnings

What Could a Palm Springs Short-Term Rental Earn?

The rules shape the numbers: a registration that costs $1,071 in the first year and taxes of 12.5% that hosts collect from guests. For a specific address, the short-term rental calculator estimates revenue, occupancy and nightly rate from comparable listings, so you can test the numbers before applying.

Estimate what a Palm Springs home could earn

FAQ

Palm Springs Airbnb Rules: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb legal in Palm Springs?

Yes, in single-family homes with a city vacation rental registration certificate. Rentals of 28 consecutive days or less are limited to single-family dwellings and barred in apartments.^3,8

Do I need a permit for Airbnb in Palm Springs?

Yes. The city's Vacation Rental Registration Certificate is required for a vacation rental, a junior rental or a homeshare, and operating without one is prohibited.³

How much is the Palm Springs vacation rental license?

The annual certificate costs $1,046 for a vacation rental, $523 for a junior certificate and $261 for a homeshare, effective December 1, 2025. A one-time $25 transient occupancy tax permit and, for homes with five or more bedrooms, a $647 land use permit come on top.^8,9

Can I rent a home I don't live in?

Yes, if it is a single-family house, you own it as an individual, trust or partnership of up to four people, and you hold no other certificate. The city issues no new standard certificate in a neighborhood where certificates have reached 20% of homes.^3,14

How many nights can I rent my Palm Springs home?

Palm Springs counts rental contracts, not nights: 26 a year on a permit applied for after October 17, 2022, and 32 plus up to four summer contracts on older permits. A junior certificate allows six, and a homeshare has no annual cap.^3,8

What is the minimum stay on Airbnb in Palm Springs?

The city sets no minimum number of nights. The registration rules apply to rentals of 28 consecutive days or less, and a stay longer than that falls outside the ordinance.³

Does Airbnb collect hotel tax in Palm Springs?

Not in Palm Springs. Airbnb's California tax page does not list the city, and the city requires the host to file the 11.5% hotel tax and the 1% tourism assessment every month, even when no guests stayed.^12,13,21

What is the hotel tax on an Airbnb in Palm Springs?

The city's transient occupancy tax is 11.5% of the rent, and vacation rentals also pay a 1% tourism assessment, about 12.5% in all.^12,13

What is the fine for operating without a certificate in Palm Springs?

A first violation is a $5,000 fine, the unpaid hotel tax and a permanent bar from holding a certificate; continuing to operate brings a $10,000 fine.³

Can I list a rental in an apartment or an accessory dwelling unit?

No. An apartment, which is a unit in a multifamily development, cannot be offered for 28 days or less, and an accessory dwelling unit cannot be rented for less than 30 days.³

Do I need insurance to host in Palm Springs?

Yes. The city asks for proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 with the application, and the code requires commercial cover for short-term rental.^3,9

Do I have to put my permit number on my Airbnb listing?

Yes. The city account number must appear in the property description of every listing, and since the July 8, 2026 ordinance platforms must show it and may not book a home that is not on the city's registry.^3,4

How many Palm Springs Airbnbs are registered?

In AirROI's listing data, 47% of the 3,490 Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs?

The average Palm Springs listing earned $58,500 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 Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs vacation rental program, certificate, application, TOT and citation pages were read from Internet Archive copies (May to July 2026); the program page's July 8, 2026 ordinance notice and the density page were read in a browser.

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 3,490 active Palm Springs Airbnb listings over the 12 months to September 2026.

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. 16 CFR Part 464 - Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
3. Chapter 5.25 Vacation Rentals, Palm Springs Municipal Code · City of Palm Springs (eCode360)
4. Chapter 3.24 Transient Occupancy Tax, Palm Springs Municipal Code · City of Palm Springs (eCode360)
5. SB 346 Local agencies: transient occupancy taxes: short-term rental facilitator (Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025) · California Legislative Information
6. SB 478 - Hidden Fees (Honest Pricing Law) · California Attorney General
7. The Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions · Federal Trade Commission
8. Vacation Rentals · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
9. Vacation Rental Certificate · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
10. Applying for a VR Certificate · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
11. Vacation Rental Certificate Application, Transfer and Closure · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
12. Vacation Rental TOT and TBID Information · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
13. Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) · City of Palm Springs Finance and Treasury
14. Vacation Rental Neighborhood Percentage Information · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
15. Administrative Citation Information · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
16. Vacation Rental Citation Information · City of Palm Springs Special Program Compliance
17. P.S. Resorts Led Initiative Advances to Strengthen Palm Springs Tourism Economy · City of Palm Springs
18. Palm Springs City Council Outlook: Wednesday, May 27 · City of Palm Springs
19. Palm Springs Tourism Infrastructure District FAQs - 5/12/2026 · City of Palm Springs, Engage Palm Springs
20. Responsible hosting in the United States · Airbnb Help Center
21. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in California · Airbnb Help Center
22. City Council approves tourism infrastructure district despite short-term rental owner opposition · The Palm Springs Post