Palm Springs eases vacation rental rules in effort to aid Los Angeles area wildfire evacuees

The Palm Springs City Council unanimously approved a measure Thursday night to grant temporary relief from annual rental caps for vacation rental properties hosting evacuees from recent Los Angeles wildfires.

The decision, which mirrors a similar effort in La Quinta, allows vacation rental owners to offer short-term stays to evacuees without those bookings counting toward their yearly contract limits.

“We wanted this to be for a defined period of time,” said City Manager Scott Stiles in introducing the proposal. “We want to see if we can do a few little things to help people out if it makes a difference.”

The relief will be retroactive to Jan. 7 and continue through Feb. 28. It comes in response to the state of emergency proclaimed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 7 to support communities impacted by the fires.

Currently, vacation rental properties in Palm Springs are restricted in how often they can be rented annually. Properties with permits issued before Oct. 18, 2022, can be rented up to 36 times per calendar year, while those permitted after that date are limited to 26 contracts.

Under the new measure, stays by wildfire evacuees will be treated similarly to friends and family stays, which do not count toward the annual limits. The temporary relief applies only to short-term stays of 28 days or less. Longer-term rentals for displaced families are not affected by vacation rental regulations.

The city will rely on vacation rental owners to submit affidavits for evacuee stays, rather than requiring proof of reduced rates or free accommodations.

Some vacation rental owners have expressed willingness to offer shorter stays if they don’t count toward limits. Stiles noted that owners who normally wouldn’t do rentals for less than four days might now consider two-day bookings.

This measure follows other local efforts to support wildfire evacuees. On Jan. 9, the Palm Springs Hospitality Association announced the availability of discounted hotel rooms for those displaced by the fires. For its part, the city has compiled an online resource for those wishing to help those impacted by the fires.

City staff will monitor the impact of the relief measure and provide feedback to the council as the February 2025 deadline approaches.

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