| City of TemeculaIncorporated | The City states that short-term rentals are prohibited within city limits. It defines one as a dwelling unit shared, in whole or in part, for temporary occupancy for periods of up to 30 consecutive days, codifies the prohibition at TMC 17.06.030, and states that the City Council increased penalties to $1,000 per day as of January 14, 2020. The same page directs Temecula Wine Country, De Luz and other unincorporated areas to the County. The County's scheduled ordinance change has no bearing on this row. | Short-term Rentals, City of Temecula
Checked 2026-09-19 |
| Unincorporated Riverside CountyWine Country · De Luz | Certificate. A Responsible Operator must obtain a Short Term Rental Certificate from the Planning Department before renting or advertising for rent. It is renewed annually and issued separately for each property, and advertising or operating without one is unlawful. Hotels, motels, rooming houses, bed and breakfast inns, cottage inns, country inns and RV or park model units are not eligible.
Stay definition. Occupancy for any period less than 30 consecutive calendar days but not less than two consecutive days and one night.
Wine Country caps. No more than 129 certificates in the Winery District, 8 in the Equestrian District, 105 in the Residential District and 16 in North Wine Country. Properties must not be within a 500-foot radius of another short term rental property. No owner or owner entity may hold more than two Wine Country certificates at once, subject to a grandfather exception. A tiered selection process applies in capped areas, and North Wine Country properties are not eligible for Tier 1.
Occupancy classes. Class I allows up to 10 occupants. Class II allows more than 10 and up to 20; in the Winery District a Class II property also needs at least 50 percent of net acreage planted with vineyards or other agricultural crops, pre-approved building upgrades and a ministerially reviewed site plan. The Responsible Guest must be at least 25 years old in Wine Country.
Operating rules. Adequate on-site parking for the maximum approved occupants, with off-site parking not permitted. Quiet hours 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. under Ordinance 847, loud or unruly gatherings under Ordinance 924, outdoor amplified sound under Ordinance 847, and a Noise Monitor installed and kept in continuous operation on the exterior. Outdoor lighting under Ordinance 915. Outdoor fire areas only when no fire ban applies, on a non-combustible surface, extinguished when no longer in use or by 10 p.m., whichever is earlier. Pets secured on the property.
Which version is in force. Everything above is Ordinance No. 927 as amended through 927.2, which is the short-term rental ordinance the County program page links today. The same page states that the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 927.3 on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, and that it is effective September 24, 2026, with updated registration fees under Ordinance No. 671.25 effective October 25, 2026. Reading the County's published 927.3 text on 2026-09-20, the Wine Country district caps of 129, 8, 105 and 16, the 500-foot separation, the two-certificate limit per owner or owner entity, the Class I and Class II occupancy limits and the age-25 responsible guest rule are all reproduced unchanged. Per the County program page, re-checked 2026-09-20. Confirm the version in force with County Planning before you file or renew. Full detail is under Scheduled changes below. | Ordinance No. 927.2, County of Riverside
Checked 2026-09-19
Short-Term Rental Program, County Planning
Checked 2026-09-17
Tier 2 Application page
Checked 2026-09-17; stated the Tier 2 application period was closed
Ordinance No. 927.3, scheduled 2026-09-24
Checked 2026-09-20 |
| City of MurrietaIncorporated | A short-term vacation rental permit is required, and the City says it is accepting applications first come, first served. The program is capped at a maximum of 300 permits, with further applications placed on a waiting list. Hosted rentals, where the owner lives on site, are allowed in residential areas. Non-hosted whole-home rentals are limited to the larger rural and estate zones ER-1, ER-2 and RR, and non-hosted units in ER-1 and ER-2 require a 300-foot separation from one another, measured from all property lines. The ordinance was adopted by the City Council on October 20, 2020. The City publishes a zoning map, detector location requirements and a good-neighbor brochure. | Short-Term Vacation Rentals, City of Murrieta
Checked 2026-09-19 |
| Transient occupancy taxLocal, not state | Transient occupancy tax in California is imposed by the city or county, not by the state tax agency. In unincorporated Riverside County, Ordinance No. 927 states that for the purposes of County Ordinance No. 495, the Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance, only, a short term rental qualifies as a "hotel". The operator is legally responsible for collecting transient occupancy tax and any assessments, including TBIDs and TMDs, from guests and remitting them to the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Murrieta hosts pay transient occupancy tax through the City's secure portal. CDTFA administers state sales and use tax, which is a separate obligation. | Ordinance No. 927.2 § transient occupancy tax
Checked 2026-09-19
Sales & Use Tax in California, CDTFA
Checked 2026-09-19 |
| HOA, CC&Rs, deed, lease and community rulesPrivate documents | No city or county source decides whether a private community permits the intended rental use, guest parking or amenity access. Private documents can be more restrictive than any public rule and are enforced separately. Temecula and Murrieta suburbs are HOA-heavy. Read the controlling documents and obtain any written determination before the home is marketed. | Further verification needed |
