What Are Riverside's Short-Term Rental Rules?

You’re considering a Riverside property that could be rented by the night, or you already own one and want to advertise it. Riverside Municipal Code Chapter 5.55 regulates short-term residential rentals through specific operating rules, including a business tax certificate, designated local contacts, occupancy limits, renter records, tax handling, parking controls and trash requirements.

This is general information and not legal advice. The rules come from Ordinance 7678 of 2024, with a 2026 history note for Ordinance 7757. Before relying on an online listing or an investment estimate, check the current Riverside Municipal Code Chapter 5.55.

What counts as a short-term residential rental?

A short-term residential rental is a legally permitted dwelling unit, or one or more portions of it, rented for occupancy for 30 consecutive calendar days or less.

Riverside counts any portion of a calendar day as a full day. The definition also covers an agreement that originally ran longer than 30 days but was amended so that its actual term became 30 consecutive days or less. Each short-term residential rental unit must have an assigned real property address.

That definition matters when reviewing a purchase because it turns on the actual occupancy term, not simply the label placed on an agreement.

What must happen before advertising or accepting a renter?

The owner or an authorized agent must obtain a Riverside business tax certificate before renting or advertising the availability of a short-term residential rental unit.

Chapter 5.55 points to Chapter 5.04 for that certificate. It does not provide a fee amount. It also does not state a cap on the number of short-term rentals or require the owner to occupy the property.

There is one wording issue to address directly with the City. Section 5.55.050 says the operating requirements will be provided for in a short-term residential rental permit, while the requirement expressly stated in the chapter text is the business tax certificate. The chapter text reviewed does not set out a separate short-term rental permit application. That leaves uncertain which permit or certificate process the City currently applies, so ask the City before advertising.

Short-term rental rules are local. The Vista short-term rental guide covers another city’s rules and should not be used as a substitute for Riverside’s chapter.

Purchase diligence should extend beyond Chapter 5.55. A buyer may also need to account for a California supplemental property tax bill after a change in ownership.

Can private restrictions still prohibit the rental?

Yes, deed restrictions, private covenants and government-imposed property conditions can still prohibit short-term rental use even when Chapter 5.55 otherwise applies.

The chapter does not grant an owner a right to violate deed restrictions or private conditions, covenants and restrictions that apply to the property. That makes the recorded documents and any association rules a separate part of the review. The California HOA disclosure guide explains documents a buyer may encounter, but Chapter 5.55 itself does not state HOA rules.

A short-term residential rental is also not permitted in a dwelling unit with deed restrictions for affordable housing purposes. The same prohibition applies when City, housing authority or other government-imposed conditions of approval or restrictions prohibit the use.

We were helping a Riverside buyer evaluate a home near an event venue when she suggested using it as a short-term rental on busy weekends. She had seen vacation rentals nearby and assumed the same use would be available at this address. We checked the city rules and property-specific restrictions before adding that income to her budget.

Who remains responsible when an agent manages the property?

The owner remains personally responsible and personally liable for noncompliance even after appointing an agent.

Chapter 5.55 permits an owner to authorize an agent in writing. That authorization can place day-to-day tasks with another party, but it does not release the owner from responsibility under the chapter.

The code defines a broker broadly enough to include online websites, online travel agencies and online booking agents. When a broker collects revenue from arranging or listing a short-term rental unit, the broker has primary responsibility for collecting, paying and transmitting all revenues due to the City.

The owner and agent must also ensure that transient occupancy taxes under Chapter 5.32 are collected and remitted. Chapter 5.55 does not give the tax rate, so the rate should not be assumed from this chapter alone.

What local contact coverage is required?

At least two people must be designated as local contacts, and one must be available at all times while the unit is rented.

The definition requires one contact to be able to respond to the location of the residential unit within 30 minutes. During a rental, at least one designated local contact must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After notice of a violation, a contact must respond within 30 minutes from the initial contact.

The contact’s name and telephone number must be posted on the exterior of the unit in plain and conspicuous view. The type must be at least 14-point or at least one-quarter inch high.

What occupancy, parking and event rules apply?

Riverside limits occupancy to two people per bedroom plus one additional person per short-term residential rental unit.

On-site parking is allowed only in approved driveway, garage or carport areas. Trash cannot be stored in public view except in proper containers on collection days. The Community and Economic Development Director may impose additional conditions on the use of a particular short-term residential rental unit.

The property must follow the City’s rules concerning entertainment and assemblies of people under Chapter 19.150.020.A and the entertainment permit provisions in Chapter 5.80.010. A short-term rental unit cannot be used as an event venue contrary to the code. An owner, agent, renter or another person responsible for an event may be liable for the cost of a police response under Chapter 9.60.

What renter information and acknowledgments must be kept?

Before occupancy, the owner or agent must collect the renter’s name, address and telephone number and retain that information for three years after the rental ends.

The renter must receive the City’s good neighbor brochure before occupancy. The owner or agent must also obtain the renter’s signed acknowledgment of the brochure and of legal responsibility.

The brochure itself was not part of the Chapter 5.55 text reviewed here. Owners should obtain the current version from the City rather than creating their own substitute or relying on an older copy.

What can happen after a violation?

A person who violates Chapter 5.55 is deemed guilty of an infraction and is subject to penalties or punishments available to the City, including those provided under Chapter 1.17.

Enforcement is at the sole discretion of the Police Chief, the Community and Economic Development Director, the Code Enforcement Manager or their designees. The chapter also directs that it be construed liberally in favor of regulation.

Chapter 5.55 does not state the penalty amounts within the text covered here.

The short version

Riverside requires an owner or authorized agent to obtain a business tax certificate before advertising or renting a short-term residential rental.

The chapter covers stays of 30 consecutive calendar days or less, including portions of days counted as full days. It requires at least two designated local contacts, with continuous availability from one contact while rented and a 30-minute response standard. Occupancy is limited to two people per bedroom plus one person per unit.

Owners and agents must handle renter information, acknowledgments, the good neighbor brochure, transient occupancy tax duties, approved on-site parking and proper trash storage. Private deed restrictions and government-imposed conditions can still prohibit the use. An agent can help operate the rental, but the owner remains personally responsible for compliance.

Before treating short-term rental use as part of a purchase plan, confirm the property’s legal status, its private restrictions and the City’s current certificate or permit process. If the rental plan affects what the property is worth to you, compare the numbers with the home value tool.