What Would Beaumont's Proposed STR License Mean for Buyers?

You may be looking at a Beaumont property that already appears on a hosting platform, or you may be calculating whether a future short-term rental could work. The central answer is simple: Beaumont has proposed a licensing program, but its adoption and start date were not confirmed as of November 4, 2026.

If adopted, Chapter 5.21 would require a separate annual license for each property and dwelling unit used as a short-term rental. A seller’s license would not transfer with the property, so an existing listing should not be treated as proof that a buyer can continue operating it.

This is general information and not legal advice.

What is Beaumont proposing?

Beaumont is considering adding Chapter 5.21, “Short-Term Rentals,” to the Beaumont Municipal Code and adopting a related fee resolution.

The proposal defines a short-term rental as a dwelling unit rented or offered for lodging for fewer than 30 consecutive calendar days. Each property and dwelling unit used this way would need its own annual license.

The City Council staff report asked the Council to hold a continued public hearing and consider introducing the ordinance by title. It also proposed a resolution covering license, renewal, inspection, reinspection and administrative fees.

The program was presented at a September 1, 2026 public hearing. The Council continued the hearing to October 6 and requested revisions to proposed fees, enforcement and fine provisions, and occupancy language. The October 20 hearing was another continuation.

The October 20 City Council agenda and staff materials cover the hearing. There is also earlier coverage in the Record Gazette.

Has the proposal taken effect?

The available material does not confirm that the proposed ordinance has been adopted or taken effect.

As of November 4, 2026, the October 20 agenda is posted and shows the Council considering introduction of the ordinance; the minutes and the November 3 meeting documents were not yet posted when this was checked. Check the City Council agenda portal for the result.

Nothing in the reviewed material confirms that Beaumont is issuing licenses or gives a date when applications will open. The City has short-term rental software in place, but that does not establish that the program has begun.

If introduced and later passed, the ordinance would return for a second reading and take effect 30 days after final passage. Staff would use that period to finish implementation and communicate when applications and enforcement would begin. The final adopted wording may differ from the posted draft.

Would an existing license transfer to a buyer?

An existing short-term rental license would not transfer to a buyer under the draft chapter.

The draft says licenses would be non-transferable and would automatically expire when ownership transfers. It also says the owner would be the applicant and licensee. A property’s operating history, advertisement or seller-held license therefore would not give a buyer a continuing city license.

The draft also states that a license would not create a vested property right. A license would be valid for one year and require annual renewal. If a license were finally denied or revoked, the applicant or licensee could not apply for a new license for one year after the final action.

Private restrictions require a separate check. The draft says an STR license would not authorize a use prohibited by zoning, another code provision, state or federal law, or enforceable private restrictions. The draft chapter text says the City does not enforce private covenants, conditions, and restrictions. The California HOA disclosure guide explains the documents buyers receive when a property is governed by an association.

What would an application require?

An application would identify the owner, the proposed rental layout and several property compliance items.

The draft application calls for proof of ownership and a floor plan showing approved bedrooms, exits, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, carbon-monoxide alarms and on-site parking. It also calls for proof of liability insurance in an amount set by an administrative regulation or resolution, plus Transient Occupancy Tax registration.

An owner would have to designate a local Responsible Party who is available at all times and can respond to the property within 60 minutes after the City contacts that person.

Under the proposed license and broader California ADU rules, an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit could not be used as an STR where state law or the Beaumont Municipal Code prohibits that use.

The City could inspect when reasonably necessary. Under the draft, entry would occur only with consent, a warrant, exigent circumstances or other legal authorization.

How would occupancy and property use work?

Maximum overnight occupancy would equal two people for each approved bedroom, unless the license sets a lower total.

A residence with three approved bedrooms would have a maximum total overnight occupancy of six people. The calculation applies to the entire residence, rather than separately to individual rooms. The City Manager could approve a lower limit based on lawful building, fire, wastewater, parking or site limitations.

The license number and licensed maximum occupancy would have to appear on every advertisement, listing and hosting-platform posting. Quiet hours would run from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Weddings, receptions, parties and similar events would be prohibited. Vehicles would have to use the on-site parking identified for the licensed property.

The draft text reviewed did not include a cap on licenses, a minimum distance between rentals or an owner-occupancy requirement. That observation applies only to the draft reviewed and does not establish what the final ordinance will contain.

What fees and tax duties are proposed?

The proposed annual short-term rental license fee is $250, with separate charges for inspections and administrative events.

The draft fee resolution lists a $100 compliance inspection or reinspection fee, a $100 late renewal processing fee, a $250 charge for failing to display a valid license number on a listing or advertisement, a $2,000 appeal fee and a $10 replacement-license fee.

The staff report says program costs would fall to the Community Development Department. It describes the charges as cost-recovery fees intended to offset program administration and enforcement costs.

Owners and operators would also have to register for, collect, report and remit Transient Occupancy Tax under Title 3, Chapter 3.28.030. Reporting and payment would be monthly. The proposed chapter would not independently change the tax rate, and the reviewed materials do not provide that rate.

What should a buyer check before relying on rental income?

A buyer should verify the ordinance’s final status, zoning, private restrictions and the property’s ability to meet the proposed license terms.

The draft license would not authorize any use prohibited by Title 17 zoning. That means a license application cannot establish by itself that short-term rental use is allowed at a particular property. The reviewed sources do not say STRs are allowed in any specific Beaumont zone.

Buyers can review separate property-specific fire considerations in the Beaumont fire-zone guide.

A Beaumont buyer asked us to include vacation-rental income in her budget after reading about the proposed STR license. She was treating the proposal as permission to operate once she paid the fee. We explained that the city had not completed the action and that a license program could include property eligibility and operating rules beyond the cost of the license.

What could happen after adoption?

After final passage, the ordinance would take effect in 30 days, with application and enforcement timing to be announced by the City.

The draft allows suspension or revocation for specified reasons, including failure to pay Transient Occupancy Tax.

Staff’s report describes a revised daily fine schedule of $500, $1,000 and $2,000 for continued unlicensed operation, with two 15-calendar-day periods. The first citation can be up to $500 per day. The draft chapter text posted with the agenda showed a different, older schedule, so check the final adopted text.

The short version

Beaumont’s proposed Chapter 5.21 would require a separate annual license for each property and dwelling unit used as a short-term rental.

The draft sets a $250 annual license fee, requires a local Responsible Party who can respond within 60 minutes, and calculates overnight occupancy at two people per approved bedroom unless the license sets a lower total. A seller’s license would expire when ownership transfers.

The proposal would not override zoning or enforceable private restrictions. Its adoption was not confirmed as of November 4, 2026, so check Beaumont’s City Council agenda portal before treating the draft requirements as final.

For a starting point on the property’s current market estimate, use the home value tool.