Palm Springs has always relied on tourism as the lifeblood of our economy. Vacation rentals have been a part of this economy since the 1930's. We Love Palm Springs was formed to preserve vacation rentals through education around the many benefits they provide to the community.
We Love Palm Springs is a coalition of those who believe that Palm Springs should welcome tourists and appreciate the benefits they bring to our city. We are your neighbors, friends and family. We are homeowners, pool cleaning companies, landscapers and gardeners; we are the hotel industry, small businesses; the owners of your favorite restaurants and community leaders.
We all want to protect our quality of life and the economy of our city. That’s one reason there’s already a tough ordinance in place to regulate vacation rentals. This ordinance requires owners to be permitted, occupancy limitations, caps the number of parked cars, restricts noise and limits the number of times a home can be rented for short-term use per year, along with dozens of other regulations that vacation rental owners must comply with.
Palm Springs has become a world-class tourist destination, and tourism is the #1 driver of the economy in our beloved city. Short-term rentals comprise nearly half of the rooms in town for visitors, many of whom come to Palm Springs to stay in mid-century homes where they can authentically enjoy the architecture and lifestyle that Palm Springs is renowned for.
Since the June 2018 initiative to ban vacation rentals was defeated, We Love Palm Springs continues to integrate the vacation rental community into the fabric of our tourism by participating in monthly meetings of various associations that represent tourism across the city.
Economic Impact
Vacation home rentals generate more than $15 million in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT paid by the guest) and at least $2.5M (sales tax) per year in tax revenue to the City of Palm Springs. Tourism is the #1 source of revenue for the overall Palm Springs economy, contributing over $200 million to our downtown shops, retail centers and tourist attractions, not to mention 1,000+ local jobs.
Additionally, vacation rentals improve property values! Palm Springs is the only Coachella Valley city to experience a full post-recession recovery in home prices.
Vacation Rental Property Regulations
Palm Springs vacation rentals are some of the most highly regulated in the country. For those interested in learning more about the regulations for vacation rental properties in Palm Springs, the following are just a few, but the full list can be found here.
- Homeowners pay a $944 annual permit fee to fund the Vacation Rental Compliance Department that enforces all regulations.
- At time of booking, collect renter's government-issued ID, to ensure that guests are 25 years or older, and limit the group size to two adults per bedroom.
- Collect guests' license plate numbers and limit vehicles to one per bedroom.
- Greet guests in person within 24 hours of their check-in, to explain local regulations, and have all adults read the Good Neighbor Brochure and sign the Statement of Rules and Regulations.
- Owner or representative must be available at all times to respond to issues at the home, in person and within 30 minutes.
- Guests may not play music outside at anytime; no music at all should be heard by neighbors.
- Rental permits from the city require proof of appropriate home insurance and, for HOA members, a letter from the HOA saying that rentals are allowed.
- Properties are inspected annually by the Code Compliance Department to ensure all required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and functioning, fire extinguishers are placed in the kitchen area and outside if an outdoor grill is present, and for pool properties, safety alarms are placed on all doors leading to yard.
- Renters are charged 11.5% Transient Occupancy Tax; taxes must be remitted to the City on a monthly basis.