Newport Beach short-term rental permit reference, 1,550-permit cap, $336 renewal, R-1.5/R-2/RM zoning, 10% TOT, and waitlist path, by NextGen Coastal

Permit Guide · Updated April 2026

Newport Beach Short-Term Rental Permit Guide

What the municipal code actually requires, and the four traps that catch first-time Newport Beach STR owners every year.

At a glance

The numbers, in one table.

Permitting authorityCity of Newport Beach Revenue Division
Governing codeNewport Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.95 (Short Term Lodging Permit) + Chapter 21.48.115 (Coastal Zoning Code)
Allowed zonesR-1.5, R-2, RM (multi-unit). R-1 (single-unit residential) is excluded.
Citywide permit cap1,550 active permits (cap currently met, waitlist active)
Minimum stay2 consecutive nights
2026 renewal fee$336 (was $214 in 2025; second step of an approved two-part increase)
Transient Occupancy Tax10% of room rate
TOT filing cadenceMonthly. Zero-activity months still require a return.
Local contact requirement24/7 designated contact, phone-reachable for noise / disturbance / emergency response
Inactivity rule (2026 update)2 years no activity = suspension. Reinstate once; second suspension = permanent revocation.

What catches first-time owners

The four Newport Beach STR traps.

01. Buying in an R-1 zone with the plan to STR.

The single most expensive mistake we see. R-1 (single-unit residential) covers most of Newport Heights, large parts of Eastbluff, and significant inland tracts. STRs are not permitted in R-1, and the city does not grant variances. Confirm zoning before close, the city's GIS portal at nbgis.newportbeachca.gov shows zoning + active permit locations.

02. Listing for one-night stays.

Default Airbnb settings let guests book a single night. Newport Beach requires a 2-consecutive-night minimum. Listings violating the minimum get flagged through the city's Hosting Compliance Hotline; repeat violations escalate to permit suspension. Set a 2-night minimum on every channel before you ever publish.

03. Skipping zero-activity TOT returns.

Owners who go an off-season month without renting often assume they don't need to file a TOT return. Wrong. Newport Beach requires a return every month, even at $0 collected, to maintain the permit in good standing. Our system files automatically; if you self-manage, set a calendar reminder for the 30th of every month.

04. Letting your permit go inactive twice.

The 2025-announced policy change: a permit can be reinstated after one inactivity-driven suspension, but a second suspension makes the revocation permanent. Newport Beach permits are scarce and capped, losing one to inactivity means going back to the bottom of a waitlist that can be years long. Run at least minimal seasonal bookings to keep your permit alive.

The application path

How to actually get a Newport Beach STR permit.

  1. 1

    Confirm zoning + active-permit eligibility.

    Pull the property's zoning at nbgis.newportbeachca.gov. R-1 = stop now. R-1.5 / R-2 / RM = continue. Check active permits in your geographic district to gauge waitlist competition.

  2. 2

    Apply to the city short-term lodging waitlist.

    Because the 1,550-permit cap is currently met, new applicants join the city's waitlist. Submit through the Revenue Division's online portal; track your position on the public waitlist dashboard.

  3. 3

    When called: pay fees, register business, designate local contact.

    2026 fee schedule: $336 permit + business license fee. Designate a 24/7 phone-reachable local contact (your property manager, a local family member, or a paid local-contact service).

  4. 4

    Set up TOT collection + monthly reporting.

    If you list on Airbnb / VRBO, confirm whether the platform collects TOT on your behalf for Newport Beach (this changes occasionally). For direct bookings or platforms without an agreement, you collect the 10% TOT yourself and remit monthly.

  5. 5

    Configure listings with the 2-night minimum + post permit number.

    Permit number must appear in every listing where the city has a posting requirement (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.). 2-night minimum stay enforced at booking. Most channel managers handle both automatically once configured.

Configure listings with the 2-night minimum +, Newport Beach short-term rental permit and TOT compliance by NextGen Coastal

Cost estimator

Calculate your Newport Beach STR tax and permit costs.

Newport Beach levies 10% TOT on gross booking revenue. Enter your expected annual gross below to see the full cost breakdown alongside NextGen Coastal's 18% all-in management fee.

Your property

$

$336/yr (2026 renewal)

$

TOT is collected from guests, not an owner expense. Cleaning billed at vendor cost to guests and excluded here.

Annual breakdown

TOT (10%), paid by guests -
Annual permit fee -
Total city obligations -
NextGen Coastal fee (18%) -
Net to owner (est.) -

Net to owner = gross revenue minus NGC fee and annual permit. Before cleaning costs.

Frequently asked

The questions Newport Beach STR owners actually ask.

Where in Newport Beach can I run a short-term rental? +
Per Newport Beach Municipal Code §5.95, short-term lodging is permitted in R-1.5 (Two-Unit Residential), R-2 (Two-Family Residential), and RM (Multi-Unit Residential) zones. It is not permitted in R-1 (Single-Unit Residential) zones, which covers most of Newport Heights, much of Eastbluff, and large portions of inland Newport Beach. Before you buy a property planning to STR it, confirm the zoning at the Newport Beach GIS portal, the city publishes an active permit map at nbgis.newportbeachca.gov.
How much does the Newport Beach STR permit cost in 2026? +
The 2026 short-term lodging permit renewal fee is $336, up from $214 in 2025, the second step of a previously approved two-part increase. New permits (when the cap allows) carry a similar fee plus a one-time business license fee. Plan on roughly $400–$500 in annual recurring city fees per permitted unit, before TOT.
Is there a cap on how many STR permits Newport Beach issues? +
Yes, 1,550 active short-term lodging permits citywide. The cap is currently met, which means new applicants join a city-managed waitlist (you can monitor your position at the city's public dashboard, nbgis.newportbeachca.gov/gispub/Dashboards/ShortTermLodgingWaitDash.htm). When an existing permit is suspended or surrendered, the next waitlisted applicant for that geographic district is offered the permit. Wait times vary by district, some peninsula and Balboa Island slots cycle within a year; some inland-eligible zones can wait substantially longer.
What's the minimum night stay in Newport Beach? +
Two consecutive nights. The municipal code prohibits owners or their agents from renting, advertising, or entering into any rental agreement for less than two consecutive nights. One-night-only Airbnb listings are explicitly non-compliant.
What's the TOT rate and how is it remitted? +
Newport Beach charges a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on the total room rate paid by the guest. TOT is collected by the operator (or by the booking platform on your behalf, where the platform has a collection agreement with the city), and remitted monthly to the Newport Beach Revenue Division. Monthly returns are required even if there were zero rentals that month, failure to file a zero-revenue report is the most common compliance trap and can trigger permit suspension.
What happens if my permit goes inactive? +
Under the city's updated policy (announced at the 2025 annual permit holders meeting), a permit that shows no rental activity and no TOT collected for two years is suspended. Suspended permits could previously be reinstated multiple times under the old policy. The new policy: a suspended permit can only be reinstated once. After a second suspension for inactivity, the permit is permanently revoked and the property goes back to the waitlist. If you own a Newport Beach STR and aren't actively renting it, run at least minimal seasonal bookings to keep the permit in good standing, otherwise you're burning a scarce, capped asset.
Do I need a local contact? +
Yes. The municipal code requires a designated local contact person available 24/7 to respond to complaints from neighbors, the city, or guests. The contact must be reachable by phone within a defined response window (typically 60 minutes for noise/disturbance issues, faster for emergencies). If you don't live nearby, your property manager fills this role, we serve as the 24/7 local contact for every NextGen Coastal-managed Newport Beach STR.
Can the City of Newport Beach revoke my permit? +
Yes. Repeat noise, parking, or trash violations; failure to file TOT; failure to maintain a responsive local contact; advertising or accepting bookings under the 2-night minimum; or operating outside the permitted zones can all result in permit suspension or revocation. The city actively enforces, Code Enforcement runs targeted compliance sweeps, and the public can file complaints directly through the city's Hosting Compliance Hotline.
Coastal Commission overlay, does it affect me? +
Newport Beach is partly within the California Coastal Zone, and the city's short-term lodging program required Coastal Commission certification (issued in October 2021). Properties inside the Coastal Zone are subject to additional Coastal Act considerations, but the day-to-day permit/operating rules are the city's. If your property is on the Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Island, Lido Isle, or in the Coastal Zone-mapped portions of Corona del Mar / Newport Coast, expect Coastal Commission review on any future material changes to the program.
Can NextGen Coastal handle the permit application and ongoing compliance? +
Yes, included in our 18% all-in STR management fee, no upcharge. We file the initial permit application (or maintain your waitlist position), serve as your designated 24/7 local contact, collect TOT through our channel manager and remit monthly to the city, file zero-activity returns when required, and manage permit renewals on your annual cycle. See our short-term rental service →

Sources & verification

  • Newport Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.95, Short Term Lodging Permit (codepublishing.com/CA/NewportBeach)
  • Newport Beach Municipal Code §21.48.115, Coastal Zoning Code, Short-Term Lodging
  • City of Newport Beach Revenue Division, Short-Term Lodging program (newportbeachca.gov)
  • Newport Beach STR public dashboards, nbgis.newportbeachca.gov
  • Newport Beach Short Term Rental Alliance (NBSTRA), Annual Permit Holders Meeting summary, 2025 (fee schedule + reinstatement-policy change)

Last verified 2026-04-28. Permit fees and program rules change. Always confirm against the city's published fee schedule and current code before filing.

Aerial view of Newport Beach harbor, the Balboa Peninsula, and the Pacific coastline

We handle Newport Beach permits in-house.

Initial application or waitlist position, 24/7 local contact, monthly TOT, annual renewal, code-enforcement response, all included in our 18% all-in STR management fee.

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