Running vacation rentals in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, where Palm Springs counts contracts and the county counts neighbors
If you manage or clean vacation rentals in the desert, the two places on this page work very differently. Palm Springs limits how many rental contracts a home may sign in a year, 26 for permits issued after November 2022 and 36 for older ones, and since 2022 it has capped vacation rentals at 20% of the homes in each neighborhood. Joshua Tree is in unincorporated San Bernardino County, which issues a permit for one year at a time and tells the surrounding owners before it does. Upbridge's AI operations assistant, Cleo, works over WhatsApp with vacation rental operators and cleaning companies and organizes the cleanings and the inventory for each place.
The rules here
The City of Palm Springs website would not load for us, so the city's rules below come from The Palm Springs Post. The county rows come from San Bernardino County's own short-term rental site. All checked on October 24, 2026.
| Topic | What it says | Status | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs contract cap | A vacation rental permitted after November 2022 may sign 26 contracts a year. Older permits keep 32 contracts plus four more in the third quarter, 36 in all, after city council dropped a planned cut to 26 in October 2025. Every booking counts as one contract, whatever its length. | In force | November 2022, amended October 2025 | The Palm Springs Post |
| Palm Springs neighborhood cap | Short-term rental density is capped at 20% of the homes in every neighborhood. The cap was aimed mainly at neighborhoods like Racquet Club Estates, where vacation rentals were almost 40% of homes, and in February 2024 it was in effect in 10 neighborhoods. | In force | November 2022 | The Palm Springs Post |
| County permit | San Bernardino County accepts short-term rental applications for dwellings in its Mountain and Desert areas, for stays of 30 days or less. A permit is valid for one year, and a renewal not paid within 45 days of expiration closes the permit. | In force | FAQ dated July 12, 2022 | San Bernardino County, renewal FAQ |
| County notice to neighbors | For a new application, surrounding property owners get 20 calendar days to comment, and once the permit is approved they are notified again; the permit is issued the first business day after a 30-day appeal period. The county also runs an exterior inspection, and some violations lead to immediate denial. | In force | County Code section 84.28 | San Bernardino County |
| County fees | A new application costs $1,144 and a renewal with no changes $550. A renewal that changes the property manager or the occupancy costs $859, and installing an outdoor noise monitoring device earns a one-time $150 credit. The permit and the Good Neighbor brochure stay posted inside the unit. | In force | July 1, 2026 | San Bernardino County |
We could not confirm the transient occupancy tax rate in either place on a page we could open, so the tax is left out. This is not legal or tax advice, and Upbridge does not file anything for you: no registrations and no tax returns.
How it works on the ground
A contract cap changes how you price a Palm Springs house. One owner told council he cut his minimum stay from four nights to two to fill the summer, and each of those short stays still used up a contract. City staff reported that the 2,570 properties that sent contract summaries for 2024 averaged between nine and 12 contracts, and only 8.4% used 33 to 36, so most houses are nowhere near the limit, but the busiest ones have to count.
The Palm Springs Post reported 2,777 registered rentals in October 2025, down from a peak of 2,927 in June 2024. Coachella returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio on April 9 to 11 and April 16 to 18, 2027, as NME reported on April 22, 2026, and those dates are worth having on the calendar before you set minimum stays for April.
In Joshua Tree, a property manager change is a permit change. The county charges for it and notifies the surrounding owners again, so taking over a cabin from another manager starts with the county paperwork.
Where Upbridge fits
When a Palm Springs house can only take 26 bookings a year, every changeover should leave it ready for a full-price guest. Upbridge turns each checkout from Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify, Uplisting or an iCal link into a cleaning task with a room-by-room photo checklist, and the pool, the patio furniture and the outdoor shower can each get their own photo.
A desert cabin far from the nearest big store tends to run out of something at the worst moment. Inventory per property takes off what each stay used, so the shopping list for the Joshua Tree run is ready before anyone gets in the car. Guests get the guest guide on their phone with the directions, the gate or lockbox code and the posted house rules.
If you run a cleaning company in Palm Springs or Joshua Tree
A crew that works both the city and the high desert spends a lot of the day driving. The cleaning company account lines up every client's checkouts on one calendar by date, so you can keep the Joshua Tree jobs on the same days and the Palm Springs jobs on others, and every client remains yours.
Questions about vacation rentals in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree
How many bookings can a Palm Springs vacation rental take per year?
The Palm Springs Post reported in October 2025 that rentals permitted after November 2022 are limited to 26 contracts a year, and older permits keep 36: 32 contracts plus four in the third quarter. Each booking counts as one contract.
Is there a limit on vacation rentals per neighborhood in Palm Springs?
Yes. Since November 2022 the city has capped short-term rental density at 20% of homes in each neighborhood, according to The Palm Springs Post.
Do I need a permit for a short-term rental in Joshua Tree?
Yes. Joshua Tree is in San Bernardino County, which requires a short-term rental permit in its Mountain and Desert areas. A new application costs $1,144 as of July 1, 2026, and the permit is renewed every year.
More questions
How long does a new San Bernardino County short-term rental permit take?
At least the two notice periods: 20 calendar days for surrounding owners to comment, then a 30-day appeal period after the permit is approved, plus an exterior inspection and the review itself, which the county says averages a week.
When is Coachella in 2027?
April 9 to 11 and April 16 to 18, 2027, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, as NME reported on April 22, 2026.
Sources
Checked on October 24, 2026
- Erin Rode, The Palm Springs Post, “With rental numbers falling, City Council keeps 36-contract cap for older vacation rental permits”, October 22, 2025.
- Kendall Balchan, The Palm Springs Post, “Early data indicates success after city addressed vacation rental oversaturation in some neighborhoods”, February 20, 2024.
- San Bernardino County, “Short-Term Rentals: Getting Started”, undated, read October 24, 2026.
- San Bernardino County, “How much does a Short-Term Rental Permit cost?”, updated August 27, 2026.
- San Bernardino County, “When do I need to renew my STR Permit?”, updated July 12, 2022.
- Max Pilley, NME, “Coachella announce dates for 2027 and how to get tickets”, April 22, 2026.