Mountain Center, California

Mountain Center is unincorporated, so short-term rentals are governed by Riverside County’s STR ordinance (Ordinance No. 927, Chapter 5.84). Operating legally requires a county Short-Term Rental Certificate from the Planning Department, including a fire-safety inspection, proof of liability insurance, a designated responsible operator age 21 or older, and an on-call responsible person who must respond to complaints and meet enforcement within one hour.

The current initial application fee is $740.00, with a $540 annual renewal. A proposed increase to $1,040 initial and $750 annual was considered but not adopted; the Board of Supervisors tabled the entire amendment package on February 10, 2026, after resident complaints about noise, parties, and weak enforcement, so the current fee structure remains unchanged. Operators must also register separately with the County Treasurer-Tax Collector and collect and remit a 10.00% Transient Occupancy Tax, paid quarterly.

Occupancy caps are tied to lot size: 10 people on a half-acre or less, 16 on one-half to two acres, and 20 on lots over two acres, with a minimum of 200 square feet per person. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., exterior signage is required, and neighbor notification within 300 feet (for lots up to 5 acres) or 600 feet (larger lots) applies to new certificates. Mountain Center is grouped with the neighboring Idyllwild-Pine Cove area, where the county imposed tighter rules in November 2023, including a cap of 500 total rentals for that area due to high saturation.

Enforcement is rated strict: repeated violations can block certificate renewal, and officials can pursue nuisance abatement. There is no maximum-nights-per-year cap, and owner-occupancy or primary-residence is not required.