Where short-term rentals are allowed in Cathedral City, CA

What Cathedral City asks of you

• The city's notice of October 27, 2022 ended all other permits on January 1, 2023. It spared home shares and HOA properties in the Resort Residential zone whose HOA allows rentals.^[11]

• Resolution No. 2020-51, effective October 14, 2020, set $1,950 for a new or renewal short term vacation rental permit. It set $525 for a home sharing permit.^[10]

• The city lists no later fee resolution among its short-term vacation rental resolutions.^[5]

• A home share rents no more than fifty percent of the bedrooms in the owner's primary residence.^[8]

• For a home share, the city accepts property tax records showing the Homeowner's Exemption as proof of residency. A driver's license or utility bill is not acceptable.^[12]

• Under that policy, hiring a management company to check in renters makes the home an unpermitted rental.^[12]

• An accessory dwelling unit built or permitted after January 1, 2020 is a disqualified space.^[8]

• Two occupants may stay in a studio or a one-bedroom unit. Each added bedroom allows two more, up to 10 at five bedrooms.^[6]

• One vehicle per bedroom may park in the garage, in the driveway or on the street. Parking in front of any mailbox is prohibited.^[8]

• Outdoor music is banned at every hour of the day. Noisy outdoor amenities close at 10 p.m. each night, with 8 a.m. as the reopening hour.^[5]

• While the unit is rented, someone answers complaints within thirty minutes at any time. The ordinance wants that local contact to be a Coachella Valley resident.^[8]

• Ordinance No. 859 sets the responsible person's minimum age at twenty-five. The owner or agent checks that person in on-site, though video check-in is permitted.^[8]

• Each booking is reported through the Contract Summary Portal, no later than the start of the occupancy.^[6]

• The first line of a listing reads "City of Cathedral City STVR Permit No." with the number. A listing also gives the car limit and the transient occupancy tax rate.^[5]

• Proof of short term vacation rental insurance is required at each permit issuance. The ordinance leaves the limits to the City Manager, with no dollar amount in its text.^[8]

• A health and safety inspection comes before the permit. Redoing a failed inspection costs $89.00.^[5]

• Resolution No. 2022-14 fines a first violation $1,000 and a second $3,000. The third costs $5,000, with suspension of the permit.^[9]

• A citation can come with no warning. An appeal is filed within ten calendar days, with a $100.00 filing fee.^[5]

• Residences within 150 feet get a mailed notice within thirty days of a new or renewed permit.^[5]

What California asks wherever you host

These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.

• No state license exists for short-term rentals in California. The state's 2025 act on booking platforms says it does not preempt a local short-term rental ordinance.^[1]

• Since July 1, 2024, every mandatory fee has to sit inside the rate you advertise. Only government taxes and fees may be added later.^[2]

• State law caps city fines when a short-term rental violation threatens health or safety. The first ceiling is $1,500. A second violation within the year reaches $3,000, each later one $5,000.^[3]