Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Anaheim, CA (2026)

Anaheim, CA allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental Permit) before listing their property. Anaheim regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Anaheim.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental Permit. Registration fee: $175. Annual renewal: $175 annually. Register through the Anaheim Planning and Building Department — Building Division or Anaheim Planning and Building Department — Planning Division. Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Anaheim: 1. Short-term rental permit required for all rentals 30 days or fewer 2. Primary residence requirement — must be principal home of host 3. Whole-home STR limited to 120 nights per year 4. Resort District STR rules differ — some Resort District properties have enhanced STR restrictions 5. Maximum occupancy per bedroom rule enforced 6. Local responsible party must be designated for all STR properties 7. Transient Occupancy Tax (15%) collected by platforms or host 8. Listing must display valid Anaheim permit number

• •Short-term rental permit required for all rentals 30 days or fewer
• •Primary residence requirement — must be principal home of host
• •Whole-home STR limited to 120 nights per year
• •Resort District STR rules differ — some Resort District properties have enhanced STR restrictions
• •Maximum occupancy per bedroom rule enforced
• •Local responsible party must be designated for all STR properties
• •Transient Occupancy Tax (15%) collected by platforms or host
• •Listing must display valid Anaheim permit number

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Anaheim: Airbnb: Airbnb collects 15% Anaheim Transient Occupancy Tax — note Anaheim has one of the higher TOT rates due to resort area tourism VRBO: VRBO collects applicable Anaheim TOT for qualifying rentals Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Anaheim: $1,000 per day fine for STR operation without valid permit; $500 per violation for noise or occupancy violations; Permit revocation for 3 or more violations within 12 months; Resort District STR violations may face enhanced penalties. Anaheim has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$1,000 per day fine for STR operation without valid permit
• ⚠$500 per violation for noise or occupancy violations
• ⚠Permit revocation for 3 or more violations within 12 months
• ⚠Resort District STR violations may face enhanced penalties

Frequently Asked Questions