Where short-term rentals are allowed in Indian Wells, CA

What Indian Wells asks of you

• The application form lists a permit fee of $296.88. It lists the same amount for the business license, which you skip if you already hold one for the current year.^[5]

• Permits and licenses run on the calendar year. They expire on December 31, with renewal each January 1.^[5]

• Grandfathered licenses that signed up in July 2015 are now permanently expired, the city says.^[4]

• An association opts out through a formal vote of its owners, certified to the city in a notarized letter.^[6]

• Under the text of Ordinance No. 771, a restricted short-term residential rental permit works only during an authorized rental period.^[8]

• That text names two periods, one for the BNP Paribas Open and one for the WTA event. Each opens seven days before the tournament, then closes three days after it concludes.^[8]

• A rental in one of those periods must last no fewer than seven consecutive nights.^[8]

• The ordinance has restricted permit holders report the tax monthly, by the 30th day after each month of authorized operation.^[8]

• The city's short-term rental page still describes a single tennis tournament.^[4]

• The Good Neighbor Guide limits overnight occupancy to two persons per bedroom. It counts overnight from 11 p.m., with 6 a.m. as the end.^[7]

• Renters may park one vehicle per bedroom on the premises, in an approved driveway or garage.^[7]

• After 10:00 p.m., loud, disturbing noise is prohibited in Indian Wells. The prohibition holds until 7:00 a.m., the city's page says.^[4]

• City ordinance requires a local contact for nuisance complaints, on call every hour of the week.^[4]

• The application form asks for an emergency contact available to respond within 1 hour.^[5]

• Every renter receives the Good Neighbor Brochure with the rental agreement. The agreement itself must carry provisions set by the ordinance.^[4]

• The form's schedule marks a 10% penalty once a quarterly return passes its delinquent date.^[5]

• Failing to remit the tax can bring a fine, a citation or a suspension of the license.^[4]

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]