Acreage
One permit, or two
One permit on a parcel under 2 acres, up to two on a parcel of 2 acres or more. A cabin and a main house on a small lot are one rental, not two. No owner can hold more than two permits.
Joshua Tree · High Desert · Projection
The parcel sets the ceiling.
Joshua Tree, Pioneertown and Landers are unincorporated San Bernardino County, where acreage, bedrooms and on-site parking decide how many permits and guests a property can carry. Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms run their own programs.
In the County
Three limits that shape the number.
From San Bernardino County Development Code Chapter 84.28, which covers short-term rentals of 30 days or less in the Mountain and Desert regions.
Bedrooms
Guests capped at 12
Occupancy rises with bedrooms and never passes 12, and it is also limited by the parking on site. Price the stay for the number the permit allows, not the number of beds.
Parking
Every car on the property
All guest vehicles must park on the property. On-street parking for a rental is not allowed, so the driveway can set the guest count.
Not every structure qualifies. Apartments in multi-family projects and alternative shelters such as yurts and travel trailers cannot get a County permit. A converted shed is not a second revenue line.
Costs the County sets
Then the fees and the tax.
- From July 1, 2026, a new County application costs $1,144 and a renewal with no changes $550, every year.
- Transient occupancy tax under County Code Section 14.0203.
- No advertising until the permit is issued, and every listing shows the maximum guests and vehicles.
In Twentynine Palms, the City's code caps vacation home rental licenses at 500 detached houses, with no more than five per owner. Yucca Valley permits rentals under its own ordinance. Confirm which applies from the parcel record first.
Casago's High Desert team manages about 10 homes in Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms, and builds each projection for one parcel, with every assumption labeled.
Sources, checked October 27, 2026
- San Bernardino County Code, Section 84.28.040 (permits)
- San Bernardino County Code, Section 84.28.060 (occupancy and parking)
- San Bernardino County, Short-Term Rental FAQs (fees)
- City of Twentynine Palms, Vacation Home Rental (Chapter 19.41)
- Town of Yucca Valley, Short-Term Vacation Rental
Educational, not legal or tax advice. Confirm the rules for your parcel with the County, Town or City.
High Desert projection questions
Can I rent a main house and a casita separately in Joshua Tree?
Only on a parcel of 2 acres or more, where the County allows up to two permits. Under 2 acres, the County allows one.
How many guests can a County-permitted rental take?
It depends on bedrooms and on-site parking, and never more than 12 occupants.
Is Joshua Tree a city?
No. Joshua Tree is unincorporated San Bernardino County, so County rules apply. Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms are incorporated and have their own programs.
High Desert
Find out what your parcel allows.
Send us the address and your local High Desert team will confirm the jurisdiction, the permit count and the guest limit. Prefer to talk? Call (760) 974-4024.
Casago High Desert, a DBA of Acme CA, Inc. California DRE #02420145. Michael E. Flannery, Designated Broker.