Short-Term Rental Regulations
in El Cajon, CA

Yes — Airbnb and other short-term rentals are allowed in El Cajon, CA. Short-term/vacation rentals in El Cajon are subject to the City's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) at 10% of rent and operators/providers must maintain an active City business license and remit TOT through the City's HdL online TOT portal. No explicit city-authored municipal code section or guidance was found on official El Cajon pages that imposes additional STR-specific zoning restrictions, primary-residence requirements, occupancy caps, minimum-night stays, host-presence rules, or platform registration rules. "Airbnb" is a brand name; the rules on this page apply to all short-term rental platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc.). See the official source linked on this page for full requirements. Last verified 2026-05-14.

Short-term/vacation rentals in El Cajon are subject to the City's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) at 10% of rent and operators/providers must maintain an active City business license and remit TOT through the City's HdL online TOT portal. No explicit city-authored municipal code section or guidance was found on official El Cajon pages that imposes additional STR-specific zoning restrictions, primary-residence requirements, occupancy caps, minimum-night stays, host-presence rules, or platform registration rules.

No permit is currently required to operate a short-term rental in El Cajon.

Yes. Vrbo operates under the same short-term rental rules as Airbnb in El Cajon, CA, since regulations apply to the rental activity rather than the booking platform, and no permit is currently required. Last verified 2026-05-14.

Short-term rental hosts in El Cajon are typically responsible for lodging, occupancy, and applicable sales taxes — these usually apply even where hosting is allowed without a permit. Rates and remittance rules vary by jurisdiction (state, county, and city can each levy a share); confirm the current rates with the official source linked on this page. Platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo collect some taxes automatically, but the host remains liable for any not collected on their behalf.

We are not currently tracking any recent short-term rental ordinance changes for El Cajon. STR rules change frequently — verify the current requirements with the city or county before listing, using the official source linked on this page.