Short-term rental rules · Anaheim, California
Short-term rentals in Anaheim, explained properly.
Anaheim no longer allows new short-term rentals (stays of less than 30 consecutive days) in residential zones or in any zone where residential use is permitted. Only pre-moratorium rentals that hold a City permit, and a limited group of C-G General Commercial Zone rentals approved by conditional use permit before September 15, 2015, may operate, each with an annual City permit, a business license and transient occupancy tax. Operating rules include a 3-night minimum, bedroom-based occupancy limits (never more than 19), a 24-hour contact who can be on site within 45 minutes and quiet time from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Citation fines run from $200 to $3,000, and two major violations in 12 months can cost a permit. We haven't captured the zoning code (Title 18) or the fee schedule yet, so confirm zoning and fees with the City before you buy.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Conditional: new short-term rentals are no longer an allowable use in residential zones or any zone where residential use is permitted or conditionally permitted; only pre-moratorium rentals that hold a City permit, and a limited group of C-G General Commercial Zone rentals approved by conditional use permit before September 15, 2015, may operate; zoning code not captured [1] [2] [3] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3Confirming |
| Can a new short-term rental permit be issued? | Conditional: new short-term rentals are barred, and permits are available only for pre-moratorium rentals (renewal and change-of-ownership transfer) and for C-G General Commercial Zone rentals authorized by a conditional use permit approved before September 15, 2015, which may obtain new permits [3] [2] [1] [4] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Clause 4 |
| Is a City short-term rental permit required? | Yes: a short-term rental permit for each property, plus a business license for each property and transient occupancy tax; the permit is issued only to the owner and is renewed every year [2] Clause |
| Is there a minimum stay? | Yes: 3 consecutive nights for any permitted short-term rental; the minimum must be shown in every advertisement, and a rental for less than the 3-night minimum is a major violation [4] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 |
| Must the owner live at the property? | Conditional: only for a Pre-Moratorium Home Share Short-Term Rental, whose owner must be a natural person and must show at each annual permit renewal that the property is the owner's primary residence [1] Clause |
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Detailed rules
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Permit and license process
| Can a short-term rental in the C-G General Commercial Zone get a permit? | Conditional: only a rental in the C-G General Commercial Zone authorized by a conditional use permit approved before the September 15, 2015 moratorium; it may obtain new permits and is subject to the chapter's operating rules, enforcement and penalties [2] [1] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Secs. 4.05.020(B), 4.05.040(.030) and 4.05.040(.060)(3) carve this group out of the ban. Sec. 4.05.180(.0101) also exempts it from the termination and amortization of pre-moratorium rentals in Sec. 4.05.180. A C-G rental without that earlier conditional use permit is not within the exception. We haven't captured the zoning code (Title 18) yet, so confirm zoning with the City before you buy. |
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| Do pre-moratorium short-term rentals have to stop operating? | Conditional: Sec. 4.05.180 bars pre-moratorium rentals in residential zones after February 11, 2018, but that termination does not apply to Qualifying Pre-Moratorium, CC&R Restricted (except the conveyance rules) or Home Share rentals, or to C-G conditional-use-permit rentals; CC&R Restricted rentals had to end by December 31, 2022 [5] [3] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.180(.010) prohibits pre-moratorium rentals in zones where residential uses are permitted or conditionally permitted after February 11, 2018, except as the subsection authorizes. Owners could ask for an 18-month affidavit extension (to August 11, 2019, application due by May 22, 2017 unless extended) or a hardship extension (application due by April 10, 2017 unless extended) to recoup their investment; a "capped extension" could run to August 11, 2021. Sec. 4.05.180(.0101) makes the amortization provisions inapplicable to Qualifying Pre-Moratorium Short-Term Rentals (valid permit and operating as of June 1, 2019, with a timely hardship extension application), CC&R Restricted Short-Term Rentals and Pre-Moratorium Home Share Short-Term Rentals, apart from the conveyance rules in (.0101) to (.0103). CC&R Restricted rentals are prohibited after December 31, 2022 and their permit holders had a one-time right to convey the permit to a property outside a community whose CC&Rs ban short-term rentals, subject to a minor conditional use permit and a 250-foot separation from other short-term rentals for a single-family detached home, or to neighbor consent. Up to five compatibility conveyances could be approved if applied for by December 31, 2019 and completed by December 31, 2022. How many permits remain in each group today hasn't been confirmed, so confirm a specific address with the City. The City's program page says the 2019 ordinance lets the majority of existing rentals keep operating under strict regulations. |
| How long does a permit last? | One year: a permit expires July 31 each year and must be renewed annually; a timely, complete renewal application keeps the permit in effect until the City decides it [4] [2] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.070(.010) makes a permit valid until July 31 of the year issued (the expiration date set on the permit) or earlier revocation; after expiry or revocation the owner has no further right to apply for a permit unless it was renewed. The renewal application, on the City's form with the fee set by City Council resolution, is due not later than the expiration date (Sec. 4.05.070.050); Sec. 4.05.040(.090) states the deadline as the last business day of July. An owner may cancel a permit in writing before it expires, after which the property can no longer be used as a short-term rental (Sec. 4.05.070.070). The Planning Director must approve a renewal if the application meets the conditions of the chapter and no circumstances during the term would cause a violation to continue (Sec. 4.05.070.080). |
| Can a permit be transferred to a new owner? | Yes: a permit does not run with the land, and a buyer of the permitted property may take it over by filing a transfer application with the fee within 14 calendar days of the change of ownership, and a permit cannot be moved to another property except in the limited conveyances in Sec. 4.05.180 [4] [2] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.070(.020) makes the permission personal to the owner to whom the City issued the permit, including a person who acquires it by a change-of-ownership application. Sec. 4.05.060(.110) requires the new owner or agent to apply within 14 calendar days of the change of ownership, with the fee set by City Council resolution; a buyer who misses the 14 days may not operate under the seller's permit, and the application may be denied if safety or code enforcement matters are not cured within 30 days of notice. An attempt to transfer a permit in any other way is void and a violation (Sec. 4.05.070(.030) and (.040)). The permit's violation history stays with the property after a sale (Sec. 4.05.140.030). |
| What are the permit fees? | Set by City Council resolution; the fee schedule hasn't been reviewed yet, so confirm the current amounts with the City's Business License Division [4] [2] Clause 1 Clause 2Confirming Sec. 4.05.090 requires every application under the chapter to be accompanied by the fee or fees set by City Council resolution. The renewal fee (Sec. 4.05.070.050), the transfer fee (Sec. 4.05.060.110) and the appeal fee (Sec. 4.05.150.0101) are likewise set by resolution. A dated fee schedule hasn't been reviewed yet, so no amount is shown here. |
| Can an owner appoint an agent to run the rental? | Yes: an agent may file renewals, manage the property, file tax reports and handle compliance, but the permit is issued only to the owner, who stays personally responsible for violations [2] Clause Sec. 4.05.050(.010) lists what an agent may do, including filing a notarized renewal application signed by the owner. Sec. 4.05.050(.020) says the owner is not relieved of personal responsibility or liability for non-compliance by the agent, a local contact person or the occupants. |
| Can both units on a parcel with a second dwelling unit be rented short-term? | No: where a legally established single-family dwelling has a second dwelling unit on the same parcel with its own living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation facilities, only one of the two units may be used as a short-term rental [1] Clause This comes from the definition of "Dwelling" in Sec. 4.05.030(D). It applies only where short-term rental is otherwise permitted under the chapter's grandfathered groups. |
| Do homeowners' association rules still apply? | Yes: the owner, not the City, must check the CC&Rs and association rules; a City permit does not decide whether the association allows the rental, and occupants must be told to follow the City rules even where they are stricter than the association's [2] [4] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.060(.020)(J) puts on the owner the responsibility to investigate and verify with the homeowners' association or maintenance organization that short-term rental use doesn't violate its covenants, conditions and restrictions or rules, and the owner must indemnify the City against association claims. The rental agreement must include a summary of any applicable CC&Rs and rules, including pool location and hours (Sec. 4.05.100(.0120)(h)). |
| Can the City inspect a short-term rental? | Yes: the owner must permit an enforcement officer to inspect the unit and property, and the City may make random inspections, including after complaints and before renewal, within Fourth Amendment limits [4] Clause Secs. 4.05.100(.0103) and (.0104) cover inspections and the safety checklist; Sec. 4.05.060(.060) lets the Planning Director require an on-site inspection during daytime business hours before approving an application; Sec. 4.05.110 requires owners and agents to provide records on use and occupancy and to cooperate in inspections. |
| Must the host comply with the business license and transient occupancy tax chapters? | Yes: every short-term rental is subject to the City's business license requirements (Chapter 3.04) and transient occupancy tax (Chapter 2.12); the business license must be displayed inside the property during rentals, and failure to pay the tax is a major violation [2] [4] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Sec. 4.05.040(.040) and Sec. 4.05.100(.0124) make short-term rentals subject to the transient occupancy tax; Sec. 4.05.100(.0114) requires the business license or a copy to be displayed in a visible interior location during occupancy by anyone other than the owners. The tax rate and filing rules are in Chapter 2.12, which hasn't been reviewed yet, so confirm the rate with the City. Where the applicant is a lessee, the title holder must agree in writing that the property is subject to Sec. 2.12.090 (transient occupancy tax a debt, civil action) if the lessee doesn't pay (Sec. 4.05.060.020(D)). |
Operating rules
| Is there an occupancy limit? | Yes: set by bedroom count, from 2 occupants for a studio, 4 for 1 bedroom, 7 for 2, 9 for 3, 11 for 4, 13 for 5, 15 for 6, 17 for 7 and 19 for 8; never more than 19, and a lower limit written in the permit governs [4] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.100(.0111) has required a specific occupant limit since January 1, 2017. A dwelling with more than eight bedrooms is capped at 19 persons. A dwelling with an occupancy above ten persons needed an approved automatic fire sprinkler system by August 11, 2021 unless the owner accepts a permit restriction of ten or fewer occupants (Sec. 4.05.100.0103(e)). Exceeding the occupancy limit is a major violation (Sec. 4.05.140.0201(4)). The maximum must be shown in every advertisement and in the rental agreement. |
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| What parking is required? | At least 2 off-street parking spaces; occupant vehicles park only in the driveway or garage, the number of vehicles is capped at the available off-street spaces, and the owner may buy 1 City parking permit or placard for 1 occupant vehicle on the street [4] Clause Sec. 4.05.100(.0112) bars off-street parking on landscaped areas, sidewalks, parkways, walkways or alleys and bars blocking the driveway or street in front of the property. Sec. 4.05.100(.0107) bars parking a recreational vehicle, bus, boat, trailer, camper, cargo container or personal watercraft at the property or on the street while it is rented, unless it belongs to the owner who is also staying on the property and is not used by occupants. Sec. 4.05.100(.0106) lets the Planning Director approve tandem or other configurations of required spaces. |
| Is a local contact person required? | Yes: the owner, the owner's agent or a local contact person must be reachable by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while the unit is rented, and be on the premises within 45 minutes when an enforcement officer or the Police Department asks [4] Clause Sec. 4.05.100(.0105)(a). Failure to respond in a timely and appropriate manner is grounds for penalties, and failing to respond to an enforcement officer's request within 45 minutes is a major violation (Secs. 4.05.100.0115 and 4.05.140.0201(6)). The application must name the local contact person if that person is not the owner or agent (Sec. 4.05.060.020(F)). |
| Must neighbors be notified? | Yes: within 10 calendar days of a permit being issued or renewed or a transfer being approved, the owner must give the 24-hour contact's name and phone number in writing to owners and occupants of adjoining properties and those directly across the street, and file a signed certification within 30 days [4] Clause Sec. 4.05.100(.0105)(b). The owner must also update neighbors and re-certify promptly whenever the contact information changes. |
| What are the quiet hours? | 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.: no sound equipment may be used outside or audible from outside the unit, and outdoor use of fire pits, barbecues, pools or hot tubs or outdoor parties during those hours is a major violation [4] Clause Sec. 4.05.100(.0117) and (.0118). Merely being outdoors during quiet time is not a violation if the conduct doesn't disturb the neighborhood; other disturbing outdoor conduct is a minor violation. The owner must post quiet-time signs near all exterior doors, and a garage may not be used as a game room between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m. (Sec. 4.05.100.0123). The rental agreement notice describes the City's Loud and Unreasonable Noise Ordinance (Chapter 6.73) as restricting excessive noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.; Chapter 6.73 itself hasn't been reviewed yet. |
| Are weddings, parties and events allowed? | No: a short-term rental may be used only for overnight lodging; weddings, receptions, parties, commercial functions and advertised conferences are barred, and a violation is a major violation [4] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.100(.0108) also bars using the property for activities in excess of the occupancy limits. Sec. 4.05.140(.0201)(5) lists non-lodging use as a major violation. |
| What must an advertisement show? | The City permit number (REG ID#), the 3-night minimum stay and the maximum number of occupants; no one may advertise a short-term rental unless the City has approved a permit, and no on-site sign advertising availability may be posted [4] Clause Sec. 4.05.100(.0109), (.0110) and (.0113). Hosting platforms must also remove listings for unpermitted rentals (see the platform rule). |
| Is a written rental agreement required? | Yes: before each rental the owner or agent must sign a written agreement with a responsible person who is at least 21, gives name, age, address and driver's license or passport number, stays at the unit and accepts liability for the occupants; a copy goes to each occupant and is posted inside the unit [4] [1] Clause 1 Clause 2 Sec. 4.05.100(.0120) lists the required terms: maximum occupants, parking and street permit rules, trash days, notice that occupants may be cited and evicted, the agent and local contact details and 9-1-1 information, the City noise ordinance notice, the HOA and CC&R summary, a copy of the chapter, and the quiet-time rules. Failure to obtain the primary occupant's signed acknowledgement of the rules is a major violation (Sec. 4.05.140.0201(8)). |
| What safety equipment is required? | Visible street address, smoke alarms in all habitable areas except the kitchen, a 2A:10BC fire extinguisher on each floor, carbon monoxide devices in common stairways and hallways, evacuation maps, an emergency-number packet, compliant pool gates, and a fire sprinkler system if the occupancy is above 10 [4] Clause Sec. 4.05.100(.0103)(a) to (l). The sprinkler system was due by August 11, 2021 for a dwelling whose permitted occupancy is more than ten persons; an owner who accepts a permit limit of ten or fewer occupants is exempt. Padlocked exterior gates, obstructed exits and double-keyed deadbolts on exit doors are barred. The Fire Chief can extend deadlines for good cause and may modify or waive a requirement in the Chief's sole discretion on written application. |
| Must booking platforms remove listings for unpermitted rentals? | Yes: a hosting platform may not list or advertise a rental the City has not permitted, and must remove a listing within 10 calendar days of City notice and not relist it without written City certification; the rule applies only to the extent state and federal law allow [5] Clause Sec. 4.05.120. A hosting platform is a person or entity that facilitates a short-term rental for an owner and earns revenue from it; a licensed real estate broker is not a hosting platform. Platform fines are $500, $1,000 and $2,000 (see the fines rule). |
Penalties & enforcement
| What are the fines? | Per citation, with each day a separate violation: responsible person $200 minor and $500 major; owner, agent or local contact person $200 minor and $1,000 major for a first offense, $400 and $1,500 for a second within 12 months, $1,000 and $2,500 for a third or fourth, $1,500 and $3,000 for a fifth or later; $2,500 for any offense during a revocation period; hosting platforms $500, $1,000 and $2,000; $500 per day for operating without a permit [5] Clause Sec. 4.05.130. A warning or notice to cure is not required before a citation. A violation may also be charged as a misdemeanor and is a public nuisance the City may abate at the owner's expense. Third and later major offenses also bring the penalty of permit revocation. Citations and appeals follow Chapter 1.20 (Civil Citations), which hasn't been reviewed yet. |
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| Can a permit be suspended or revoked? | Yes: the Planning Director may suspend or revoke a permit for any 2 major violations in a 12-month period (one not made up of aggregated minor violations) or for 10 minor violations in 12 months, after written notice; the permit changes on the 30th day unless an appeal hearing is requested [5] Clause Sec. 4.05.140. Major violations include the 3-night minimum, occupancy limits, non-lodging use, the 45-minute response duty, quiet-time outdoor activity, unpaid transient occupancy tax, criminal activity on the premises and construction without a permit; 4 minor violations in 12 months at the same property count as one major violation. A change of ownership has no effect on the accumulation of violations. A revoked permit's owner has no right to apply for a new permit (Sec. 4.05.070.010). |
| Can a permit decision be appealed? | Yes: in writing to the City Clerk, received within 10 calendar days of the date the notice was mailed, with the fee set by City Council resolution; an Employee Hearing Officer decides and the decision is final, subject to judicial review [5] Clause Sec. 4.05.150. Failure to appeal on time, or to state all factual and legal grounds, waives the appeal. A hardship-extension denial has its own 30-calendar-day appeal deadline (Sec. 4.05.180.020.0205). |
State law that also applies
| Who sets lodging taxes on short stays in California? | Each city or county: state law lets them levy a transient occupancy tax on stays of 30 days or less [6] Clause California Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 lets the legislative body of any city, county, or city and county levy a tax on the privilege of occupying a room or other living space in a hotel, inn, tourist home or house, motel or other lodging, unless the stay is longer than 30 days. A county's tax applies only in its unincorporated areas. The rate, registration and filing rules are set by each city or county, so the local tax is shown in the city's own section of this page. |
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| Short-term rentals in ADUs and junior ADUs under state law | Junior ADUs, and ADUs approved under the state's by-right path, must be rented for more than 30 days; for other ADUs a city may require 30-day-plus rentals [7] [8] [9] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Government Code section 66333(g) requires a city's junior accessory dwelling unit ordinance to require that a rental of a junior ADU be for a term longer than 30 days (as amended by Assembly Bill 1154, in force January 1, 2026). Section 66323(e) requires a city to require that a rental of an ADU created under that section (the ministerial, by-right approvals) be for a term longer than 30 days. For other ADUs on a lot with a single-family home, section 66315 bars standards beyond section 66314, including owner occupancy, except that a city may require that the property be used for rentals of terms 30 days or longer. Cities can be stricter in their own codes; see the city section. |
| Can an HOA or condo association ban short-term rentals? | Yes: associations may prohibit rentals of 30 days or less, though they cannot ban or unreasonably restrict longer rentals [10] Clause Civil Code section 4741 says an owner in a common interest development is not subject to a governing-document provision that prohibits, has the effect of prohibiting, or unreasonably restricts renting or leasing a separate interest, ADU or junior ADU, and an association may not cap rentals below 25 percent of the separate interests. The same section says it does not prohibit an association from adopting and enforcing a provision that prohibits transient or short-term rental of a separate property interest for 30 days or less. Check your association's governing documents. |
| Are short-stay guests covered by California landlord-tenant law? | Not by the Civil Code chapter on renting homes while the stay is subject to a local occupancy tax [11] Clause Civil Code section 1940 applies the chapter on hiring of real property (Civil Code sections 1940 to 1954.071) to tenants, lessees, boarders, lodgers and others who hire dwelling units, but excludes a person in transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, residence club or other facility when the stay is or would be subject to a transient occupancy tax under Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 (stays of 30 days or less). Stays longer than that are not covered by this exclusion. |
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We read Chapter 4.05 (Short-Term Rentals) of the Anaheim Municipal Code (American Legal Publishing, supplement 2026 S-28) and the City's Short-Term Rental Program page as captured on October 18, 2026. The most recent amendment in the chapter's history notes is Ordinance 6466 (June 18, 2019). We haven't reviewed the zoning code (Title 18), the fee schedule, the transient occupancy tax chapter (2.12), the business license chapter (3.04) or City Council agendas yet, so we will watch the Code and the City's page for changes.
The history notes show Ordinance 6466, dated June 18, 2019, among the amendments to Secs. 4.05.020, 4.05.030, 4.05.070 and 4.05.180; the City's page says the City Council adopted the updated policy in June 2019 and that new short-term rentals remain prohibited.
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.