Is Airbnb legal in Riverside, CA?

Allowed

Airbnb is allowed in Riverside, CA

Inside the city of Riverside, operators need a business tax certificate, remit a 13 percent transient occupancy tax, and follow good-neighbor rules; there is no primary-residence rule or permit cap. The capped, lottery-style program often cited online is Riverside County, not the city.

Riverside Municipal Code Ch. 5.55View the ordinance

Verified July 2026. Not legal advice. Rules change and may be enforced differently than written. Confirm with the city before you list.

Key rules at a glance

Permit or registration

Required

Primary residence only

No

Annual night cap

Not confirmed

Registration fee

See ordinance

How short-term rentals work in Riverside

The first step in Riverside is the city's permit or registration process; check the ordinance for the current fee. The status card above has the full detail on the current rules.

Riverside broadly permits short-term rentals. Expect to register and collect lodging tax, but there is real room for an investor STR strategy.

At the state level, California leaves short-term rental rules to cities and counties.

What it means for investors

Riverside is relatively open to short-term rentals, so an STR strategy is on the table. Run the numbers on a specific property, and compare it to a straight long-term rental to see which pencils better.

Analyze a rental hereCheck long-term rent

Short-term rental rules elsewhere in California

Last reviewed July 2026. Informational and educational only, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Rules change and may be enforced differently than written. Verify the current ordinance with your local jurisdiction or counsel before acting.

Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Riverside?

Inside the city of Riverside, operators need a business tax certificate, remit a 13 percent transient occupancy tax, and follow good-neighbor rules; there is no primary-residence rule or permit cap. The capped, lottery-style program often cited online is Riverside County, not the city. This reflects the rules as of July 2026; confirm the current ordinance with the city before you list.

Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in Riverside?

Yes. Riverside requires a permit or registration to operate a short-term rental, and platforms increasingly require the permit number on the listing.

Can I run a non-owner-occupied Airbnb in Riverside?

Yes, Riverside does not require you to live in the property, though other limits such as caps, zoning, or licensing may still apply.

Is there a limit on how many nights I can rent in Riverside?

No specific annual night cap was confirmed for Riverside, though minimum-stay rules or license caps may effectively limit operations. Check the ordinance.

What taxes apply to a short-term rental in Riverside?

Short-term rentals in Riverside are generally subject to state and local lodging or occupancy taxes on top of income tax. Airbnb and VRBO collect some of these automatically, but not always all of them, so confirm the current rate and who remits it with California and the city.