Rental Rules by City / California / Indio

    Indio short-term rental rules & tax calculator

    Riverside County, California · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

    📋 The Basics

    Can I rent my place short-term here?
    Yes, with a license or tax registration
    Do I need a permit?
    Yes, but the permit costs about $1,633 a year plus fees.
    What taxes do I pay?
    Total about 14%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

    Your 3 steps to be legal

    1. Apply for the combined business license + STR permit.
    2. Register for TOT.
    3. Report and pay TOT/TBID monthly.

    ⚠️ Biggest risk: Advertising before your permit is active.

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

    Tax calculator

    Rates used: Indio transient occupancy tax (STRs) 13% + Greater Palm Springs TBID assessment 1% = 14%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 14% (13% city TOT + 1% GPS TBID). City business tax on gross receipts also applies.

    What Airbnb collects: Airbnb and Vrbo remit Indio TOT, but you still report all gross rents and pay the 1% TBID.

    This is the general rule for Indio. 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.

    Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

    🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

    Check my address: $49

    🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

    Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Indio. Cancel anytime.

    Stay notified

    Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

    Why use this instead of a web search?

    Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

    Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

    Rules

    PermitCombined business license + STR permit required; permit fee $1,633 per year plus business license and code compliance fees (about $1,944 new, $1,679 renewal).
    AdvertisingNo renting or advertising without an active permit; applying alone does not allow renting.
    FilingReport gross rents and remit TOT/TBID monthly, even with no bookings (Deckard portal).
    Expired permitMiss the renewal and you must apply again as new.

    Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

    Sources

    Free tools

    Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

    Rules can change

    Indio's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

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    Get a personalized STR Compliance Check ($49) for your exact address in any US city: the permits, registrations and tax accounts you need, with official sources, delivered by email in 48 business hours. Not legal advice.

    Stay Compliant: $4.99/month

    Rules, tax rates and Airbnb/Vrbo policies can change without warning, and hosts who miss a change can be fined. Get alerts when your city, county or state changes, deadline reminders, a pending-bill watch list and a monthly host brief (even in quiet months: "we checked on [date]; no changes"). Compare plans.

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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.