Orange County · checked 2026-09-22
Can you BnB it in Brea?
RestrictedBrea prohibits renting a home or a room for less than 30 consecutive days, but a licensing program running through December 31, 2029 allows up to 100 licensed short-term rentals citywide, allocated by lottery across three sectors, with a two night minimum stay and occupancy limits by bedroom count. Licenses do not transfer with a sale of the property; a new owner must obtain a new license, and accessory dwelling units cannot be licensed.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L1Brea City Code Chapter 20.71 (Ord. 1204, adopted 9-4-2018) and Chapter 5.32 (Ord. 1270, effective 1-20-2026) · code text · checked 2026-09-22
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Brea City Code Chapter 20.71 (Ord. 1204, adopted 9-4-2018) and Chapter 5.32 (Ord. 1270, effective 1-20-2026) · code text · checked 2026-09-22
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Brea City Code Chapter 20.71 (Ord. 1204, adopted 9-4-2018) and Chapter 5.32 (Ord. 1270, effective 1-20-2026) · code text · checked 2026-09-22
Permit capPermits are capped at 100.L1Brea City Code Chapter 20.71 (Ord. 1204, adopted 9-4-2018) and Chapter 5.32 (Ord. 1270, effective 1-20-2026) · code text · checked 2026-09-22
Caps and limitsLicenses are capped at 100 citywide, allocated 25 to the Northwest sector, 50 to the Southwest sector, and 25 to the East sector, and issued by lottery within each sector. The licensing program expires December 31, 2029 unless the City Council extends or modifies it, and outside the program rentals of less than 30 consecutive days remain unlawful.L1Brea City Code Chapter 20.71 (Ord. 1204, adopted 9-4-2018) and Chapter 5.32 (Ord. 1270, effective 1-20-2026) · code text · checked 2026-09-22
Transfer when the home sellsA license is not transferable to another person, entity, assessor's parcel number, or property owner. The license grants no vested property rights and does not run with the land, and a new property owner must obtain a new license to continue short-term rental operations. The transfer section states no exceptions for family members, heirs, trusts, entity changes, application windows, or grace periods.L15.32.090 · code text · checked 2026-09-22
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
20.71.030“It shall be unlawful for any person to offer or make available for rent or to rent (by way of a rental agreement, lease, license or any other means, whether oral or written), for compensation or any consideration, a residential dwelling, a dwelling unit or a room in a dwelling for less than thirty (30) consecutive days.” source
5.32.040.A“No person shall operate a short-term rental unless a license has been obtained in accordance with this chapter.” source
5.32.040.G.1“The total number of licensed short-term rentals operating in the city at any given time shall not exceed one hundred (100), allocated as follows: twenty-five (25) in the Northwest sector, fifty (50) in the Southwest sector, and twenty-five (25) in the East sector.” source
5.32.040.G.2“Short-term rental licenses shall be issued on a lottery-based system within each sector.” source
Citation: Brea City Code Chapter 20.71 (Ord. 1204, adopted 9-4-2018) and Chapter 5.32 (Ord. 1270, effective 1-20-2026)
Check a specific address
The checker resolves any California address to its jurisdiction and returns these rules with their verification level. Where a county or city publishes a licensed-rental registry or parcel map (Riverside County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and a growing list), it also runs parcel spacing, permit cap, and registry checks.
How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-22 by the CanIBnB research desk. Research is AI assisted and human reviewed; the method, the level system, and the re-check schedule are on the How we verify page. If anything here is wrong, report it and it goes in the public corrections log.