County jurisdiction · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in unincorporated Inyo County?
RestrictedUnincorporated Inyo County bans short term rentals in every zone except through a hosted short-term rental permit, which is allowed only in the OS, RR, Rural Residential Starlite, R-1 and R-2 zones and only where the owner or a designated representative lives on the parcel. Each of twelve named areas has a fixed permit cap, an owner may hold permits on only one parcel, and permits run three years with renewal applications filed in June of the third year.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L118.73.020 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyOnly hosted rentals are allowed; the host must be present.L1Inyo County Code Chapter 18.73, Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, sections 18.73.010 through 18.73.080; Ord. 1224 section 1 (2018); Ord. 1251 sections 1 to 9 (2020); Ord. 1290 section 20 (2022); Ord. 1304 (4-2-2024) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe rental must be the operator's primary residence.L118.73.010 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Permit capPermits are capped at 149.L118.73.030 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsSection 18.73.030(A)(1) sets a numeric permit cap for each of twelve areas. Area 1 North County 5; Area 2 Dixon, Meadow Creek, Early Pond, Brockman 18; Area 3 McLaren, Milovich, Desiderata 8; Area 4 South of Line Street, Poleta 11; Area 5 Sunrise, Sunset 15; Area 6 Starlite 2; Area 7 Wilkerson, Bishop Creek, Chipmunk, Rossi Hill 8; Area 8 Aspendell, Mountain View 5; Area 9 Big Pine, Glacier, Birch Creek 18; Area 10 Independence, Oak Creek 9; Area 11 Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, Pangborn, Granite View 21; Area 12 South and South East County 29. The 149 shown as the permit cap is the arithmetic sum of those twelve area caps, not a figure the code states as a countywide cap. Separate limits: only two hosted rentals per parcel, only one in the R-2 zone, no more than five guestrooms per dwelling unit, only two renters per guestroom, and an owner may hold permits on a maximum of one parcel of land. Section 18.73.060(E)(1) makes reaching the area maximum a ground to deny renewal.L118.73.030 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsThe chapter has no sentence saying a permit is or is not transferable, and no exception for family, heirs, trusts or entities. The only sale related sentence is 18.73.030(T): a property owner shall notify the planning department at the time of sale of any property that has an associated short-term rental permit. Read with the rest of the chapter, that duty points away from automatic transfer: the permit is applied for by the record owner, section 18.73.030 limits an owner to permits on a maximum of one parcel, and rentals must be hosted, meaning the owner or a designated representative resides on the parcel. Section 18.73.070(A)(3)(g)(v) makes ownership of more than one permitted parcel an automatic revocation of all of that owner's permits, which is a real risk for a buyer who already holds a permit elsewhere. Because the area caps are hard numbers, a buyer who cannot inherit the permit may find no permit available in that area. Confirm with Inyo County Planning before relying on an existing permit surviving escrow.L118.73.030(T) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the county's own words
18.73.020“a prohibited use in every zoning district in the county, with the exception of those permitted pursuant to this chapter” source
18.73.010“to provide transient lodging in a dwelling unit, for compensation, for a period of 30 consecutive calendar days or less.” source
18.73.010“a short-term rental of a room(s) within a dwelling where the owner or a designated representative of the owner resides on the parcel where the rental occurs.” source
18.73.030“An owner shall only be eligible to maintain a permit(s) for short-term rentals on a maximum of one parcel of land” source
Citation: Inyo County Code Chapter 18.73, Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, sections 18.73.010 through 18.73.080; Ord. 1224 section 1 (2018); Ord. 1251 sections 1 to 9 (2020); Ord. 1290 section 20 (2022); Ord. 1304 (4-2-2024)
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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.