Riverside County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Desert Hot Springs?
AllowedDesert Hot Springs issues vacation rental permits, but the total is capped at four percent of developed housing parcels and a new rental may not sit within 250 feet of another (500 feet in Rolling Hills, DHS 41 and Hacienda Heights); the city reports the cap is full and keeps a waitlist. The permit is nontransferable and ends when the home is sold, so a buyer must apply for a new permit within 14 days and clear the cap and spacing rules.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L15.44.030(A) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1DHSMC Chapter 5.44, sections 5.44.020, 5.44.030, 5.44.050, 5.44.055, 5.44.070, 5.44.080, 5.44.110; Ord. 533 (5-1-12), Ord. 695 (10-15-19), Ord. 764 (8-2-22), Ord. 774 (2-21-23), Ord. 794 (11/7/2023, added 5.44.055 cap and separation); ordinance amending Chapter 5.44 introduced 2025-12-02, adopted 2026-01-20, effective 2026-02-19 (number not printed in the staff report copy) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1DHSMC Chapter 5.44, sections 5.44.020, 5.44.030, 5.44.050, 5.44.055, 5.44.070, 5.44.080, 5.44.110; Ord. 533 (5-1-12), Ord. 695 (10-15-19), Ord. 764 (8-2-22), Ord. 774 (2-21-23), Ord. 794 (11/7/2023, added 5.44.055 cap and separation); ordinance amending Chapter 5.44 introduced 2025-12-02, adopted 2026-01-20, effective 2026-02-19 (number not printed in the staff report copy) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsCitywide cap: the number of vacation rentals shall not exceed four percent of the total housing parcels containing completed developed housing units, calculated yearly; permits exceeding that number are rejected (5.44.055(A)). Separation: the codified text (Ord. 794) bars a vacation rental parcel within a 500 foot radius of another vacation rental, property line to property line, with existing rentals in good standing not denied renewal solely on that factor (5.44.055(B)); the ordinance adopted 2026-01-20, effective 2026-02-19, changes this to a 250 foot radius citywide and keeps a 500 foot radius inside the areas known as Rolling Hills, DHS 41 and Hacienda Heights (amended 5.44.055(B) and (C)). If the unit is in an HOA that prohibits vacation rentals the permit is rejected (codified 5.44.055(C)). No exemption from the cap or the separation rule for homeshare or primary residence permits appears in the text. The city page says the 4 percent cap has been reached, the application period is closed and reopens once a year, and applicants may join a waitlist with ten business days to apply when contacted.L15.44.055(A) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
SpacingA separation of 250 feet applies between rentals.L15.44.055(B) (codified, Ord. 794) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sells5.44.050(G): the vacation rental permit shall be nontransferable. 5.44.070(A): within 14 days of a change in property ownership or agency the owner or agent shall submit an application for a new vacation rental permit with the registration fee and business license. The ordinance adopted 2026-01-20 (effective 2026-02-19) adds 5.44.065: permits are non-transferable, and if the property is sold or ownership is transferred while a permit is in good standing the permit is immediately terminated. No exception for heirs, family, trusts or LLC membership changes appears in either text; owner means the owner of record on the assessment roll (5.44.020). A buyer's new application counts as a new permit, so it is subject to the four percent cap (currently reached, with a waitlist) and to the separation radius; the codified renewal exception for existing rentals inside the radius applies to renewals, not to a new owner's application.L15.44.050(G) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
5.44.030(A)“No owner or agent of a vacation rental unit shall rent, advertise, list for booking, book, or otherwise publish information for a vacation rental, any unit for a period of 30 consecutive days or less without a valid vacation rental permit” source
5.44.055(A)“The number of vacation rentals shall not exceed four percent of the total housing parcels containing completed developed housing units.” source
5.44.055(A)“This number shall be calculated yearly. Such vacation rental permits exceeding this number shall be rejected and not issued.” source
5.44.055(B) (codified, Ord. 794)“Vacation rental parcels shall not be located within a 500-foot radius from another vacation rental, measured from property line to property line.” source
Citation: DHSMC Chapter 5.44, sections 5.44.020, 5.44.030, 5.44.050, 5.44.055, 5.44.070, 5.44.080, 5.44.110; Ord. 533 (5-1-12), Ord. 695 (10-15-19), Ord. 764 (8-2-22), Ord. 774 (2-21-23), Ord. 794 (11/7/2023, added 5.44.055 cap and separation); ordinance amending Chapter 5.44 introduced 2025-12-02, adopted 2026-01-20, effective 2026-02-19 (number not printed in the staff report copy)
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 2026-09-13 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.