Rental Rules by City / Free checklist / Joshua Tree

Is my Joshua Tree rental legal? Checklist

San Bernardino County, California · Based on our Joshua Tree page, last verified Oct 24, 2026 · Print

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📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a permit
Do I need a permit?: Yes. You need a yearly San Bernardino County STR permit.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 7%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Confirm the home is a legal dwelling (no RVs, tents or yurts).
Apply for the county permit online (about $1,144 new).
Register for the 7% county TOT if your platform does not collect it.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Operating without a permit: $1,000 a day.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for Joshua Tree. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them. The penalties Joshua Tree lists are on the Joshua Tree page.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
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🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

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Permit / license / registration

Permit: Joshua Tree is unincorporated: a county STR permit is required to advertise or rent for 30 days or less.
Neighbors: Surrounding owners are notified and may appeal an approval within 30 days.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Limits: One permit per parcel under 2 acres (two on 2+ acres); no RVs, tents or yurts; apartments not eligible.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Fees: New application $1,144 (effective July 1, 2026); renewal with no changes $550; renew yearly.
Penalties: Operating without a permit: administrative fine of $1,000 per violation per day (county FAQ). Escalating citation amounts for other violations: verify in the STR ordinance.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for San Bernardino County TOT (unincorporated) (7%)
What Airbnb collects: Confirm in payouts whether Airbnb remits the 7% county TOT; otherwise register with the Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 7%. 7% uniform TOT (County Code 14.0203); the 2024 increase measure failed. Filed quarterly with the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.