Short-Term Rental Permit Rules in Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Indio & Coachella

Owner Resources

Short-Term Rental Rules in the Eastern Coachella Valley

Every city in the Coachella Valley runs its own STR program — there is no valley-wide permit. If you own property in Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Indio, or Coachella, you need a separate permit from each city's licensing office, and the rules differ meaningfully from one municipality to the next.

A November 2024 regional density study commissioned by multiple valley cities may lead to tighter caps across the area. The requirements below focus on Palm Desert as the most detailed publicly documented program; confirm La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella requirements directly with those cities before listing.

Palm Desert STR Permit Requirements

Annual permit fee: $29, applied through the City's online STR portal powered by Deckard Rentalscape. Both new applications and renewals use the same portal.

Eligible property types: Palm Desert defines STRs as privately-owned dwellings rented for 27 consecutive nights or less. Permitted in RE, R-1M, R-1, R-2, R-3, HPR, PR, and DEO residential zones. ADUs and JADUs cannot operate as STRs under any circumstances.

HOA compliance: If your property is in an HOA, you must submit an annual HOA letter confirming the association permits STR use. HOA restrictions can override city permissions.

Operational requirements: Hosts must provide 24-hour local contact information, meet and greet guests in person at each arrival, post permit numbers on all advertising platforms, and comply with occupancy, noise, and parking rules.

Neighborhood cap system: Palm Desert enforces density caps at the neighborhood level. As of January 2025, the city tightened enforcement by auditing active permits and revoking those that exceeded density thresholds. New applications in capped neighborhoods are denied. Check whether your address is in a capped neighborhood before purchasing with STR income in mind.

Good Neighbor Ordinance (updated July 2024): Three substantiated noise complaints within 12 months can trigger mandatory permit suspension. The July 2024 update strengthened enforcement of this provision.

Permit posting: Display your permit number prominently in-unit and on all listing platforms.

Regional trend: A November 2024 density study commissioned for Coachella Valley cities may result in tighter caps across Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Indio, and Coachella. Monitor city council agendas if you are planning additional STR acquisitions in the valley.

Rules change — here's how we keep this current

The Coachella Valley STR landscape has shifted considerably since 2022, and a regional density study underway as of late 2024 may produce further changes. This page is reviewed regularly against verified government sources, but it is not a substitute for checking directly with each city's licensing office or your local manager before applying.

Last verified: August 2026.