Short-term rental rules · Big Bear Lake, California
Short-term rentals in Big Bear Lake, explained properly.
The City of Big Bear Lake allows vacation rentals with an annual city license ($635 per property per year), no owner-occupancy requirement and no citywide numeric cap, but the city's ordinance summary says one owner cannot hold more than two licenses and certain dwellings are prohibited. Surrounding unincorporated communities (Big Bear City, Sugarloaf, Fawnskin) fall under a separate San Bernardino County short-term rental program, not this city's rules.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are vacation rentals allowed? | Yes, with an annual city license for homes in the City of Big Bear Lake (ZIP 92315); owner-occupancy is not required, but one owner may hold no more than two licenses and certain dwellings are prohibited [1] [2] [3]Confirming |
| Permit required? | Yes — a Vacation Rental license is required, with a mandatory inspection before approval [1] [2] |
| Permit application/registration fee | $635 per property per year (City of Big Bear Lake Master Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026) [4] [2] |
| Annual renewal | Licenses must be renewed annually; each license expires one year from its initial registration payment date (not a fixed citywide date), and holders have 60 days to complete renewal [2] |
| Permit transferability | Unconfirmed — a secondary source says licenses are not transferable and new owners must reapply, but the city's fee schedule lists a $74 "Transfer of Vacation Rental" fee; confirm in Ord. 2023-518 before relying on either [1] [4]Confirming |
| Occupancy limits | The lesser of two adults per bedroom, one person per 200 sq ft, or 16 people (e.g., a 3-bedroom/1,000 sq ft unit is capped at 5 people) [3] [1] |
| 24/7 local contact requirement | A city-certified 24/7 response agent is required and its phone number must be posted in the unit; all agents and owners must pass an annual 25-question city certification exam with a 100% score (owners who use a full-service management company and never self-rent are exempt) [2] [5] |
| Combined lodging tax | 13% total — 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) plus 3% Big Bear Lake Tourism Business Improvement District tax; California state sales tax (7.25%) may also apply to certain bookings [6] [2] [1] |
| Penalty for violations | $500 per violation for occupancy or parking violations (including any street parking), amplified music, spa use outside posted hours and barking dogs; quiet hours are 10 p.m.–7 a.m.; failing to comply with licensing requirements can bring penalties of up to $1,000 per day; separate, higher escalating fines under Ord. 2023-518 for repeat and unlicensed operation still need confirmation [5] [3] [1] |
| Surrounding unincorporated areas use different rules | Big Bear City, Sugarloaf, Fawnskin, and other unincorporated communities around the lake are governed by San Bernardino County's own short-term rental program, not the City of Big Bear Lake's rules covered here [7] [2] |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & zoning
| No owner-occupancy requirement | Unlike many California coastal and mountain markets, Big Bear Lake does not require the owner to live on-site — investor-owned, whole-home vacation rentals are allowed [1]Confirming |
|---|---|
| Parking requirement for new units | Guest parking must be on the driveway or in the garage, at least one space per bedroom; no street parking at any time ($500 fine). Paved off-street parking is required immediately for new units and was required for existing units by 2026 [5] [3] [1] |
Licensing & application
| Application processing time | Typically 2-4 weeks; the property may not operate as a vacation rental until the permit is approved [2] [1] |
|---|
Operations & requirements
| Guest eviction for rule violations | Guests who break occupancy, parking, or noise rules may be evicted from the property without a refund [1]Confirming |
|---|
Taxes & fees
| Monthly TOT filing requirement | Hosts must file a monthly TOT/BBLTBID return with the city (including zero-income months), due the last day of the following month, even when a platform remits. Airbnb remits the 10% TOT only, so hosts must still remit the 3% BBLTBID on Airbnb bookings; Vrbo and Evolve remit both; hosts remit everything for direct bookings [6] [2] |
|---|
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We checked the city's Vacation Rental Program page and TOT/BBLTBID page on bigbearlake.gov, the Master Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, the Vacation Rental Checklist, the city's July 2023 VRO workshop presentation and VRO history page, and San Bernardino County's STR portal; searched for council action and news from the last six months and found no new vacation-rental ordinance or pending amendment. The current governing ordinance, No. 2023-518 (adopted December 2023), and the city's FAQ page could not be read by our tools, so fine amounts, license transferability, guest-eviction rules and whether the two-license-per-owner limit carried over from Ord. 2021-495 still need a direct check.
Voters approved raising the city's TOT from 8% to 9% on January 1, 2024 and to 10% on January 1, 2025, bringing the combined TOT plus 3% BBLTBID to 13% for short-term overnight stays.
Sources
Every rule above links to one of these
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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.