Executive Overview: Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Mentone, CA?

Mentone is an unincorporated community within the Valley region of San Bernardino County. The County’s adopted Housing Element explicitly allows short-term rentals (STRs) in the Mountain and Desert regions (maximum stay of 30 days), but requires private homes and ADUs in the Valley region to be rented for more than 30 days. Consequently, whole-home or room-level rentals for stays of 30 days or fewer are not permitted as STRs in Mentone; the market is limited to long-term rentals (≥31 days).

Key implication for investors: Do not pursue a County STR permit for properties in Mentone. You may proceed with long-term rentals (LTRs) without a separate STR permit, but you remain subject to baseline County ordinances and state requirements, including fire hazard and safety standards.

How to Start a Rental Business in Mentone (Given STR Restrictions)

• Confirm zoning and permitted uses: STRs (≤30 days) are prohibited in the Valley region (Mentone). Long-term rentals (≥31 days) are permitted.
• Verify minimum stay requirement for all rentals: 31 days or longer in the Valley region.
• Confirm habitability and safety standards: Even for long-term rentals, County building and fire safety codes apply, especially given the Mountain region’s high fire hazard severity zones (the Valley region may include similar risks at parcel-specific level). If your property is near or in hazard areas, confirm mitigation per County Policy HZ‑1.2.
• Understand transient occupancy tax (TOT) and business tax implications:
  • Under San Bernardino County rules, STRs in Mountain and Desert regions are subject to TOT and a separate transient occupancy registration, if permitted. Mentone’s STRs are not permitted; therefore, you will not be registering with the TOT program as an STR.
  • Regardless, the County notes STR permit fees are used for administration and code enforcement. For long-term rentals, you should still confirm whether any business tax registration or local revenue reporting applies at the County level.
• Prepare standard landlord documentation: California standard residential lease, tenant screening criteria, habitability disclosures, and local relocation/notice requirements.
• Align insurance coverage: Property and landlord liability policies appropriate for long-term rentals. STR endorsements are not applicable if you’re not operating as an STR.
• Comply with state labor laws if using property managers or staff: California AB5 and local wage/overtime requirements apply.

Note: The County’s “STR permit” portals and processes apply only to Mountain and Desert regions. Mentone properties should not apply for an STR permit.

Required Documents, Permits, Licenses, and Guidelines

At the County level (San Bernardino County, unincorporated areas):

• STR Permit System (NOT applicable to Mentone)
  • Mountain Region: Established in 2017.
  • Desert Region: Established in 2019.
  • Valley Region (Mentone): STR permits are not issued; minimum stay must exceed 30 days.
• Long-Term Rental (LTR) Operation
  • No separate “STR permit” is required for LTRs in Mentone.
  • Confirm any County business tax registration or revenue reporting requirements for rental income (local processes vary; review the County’s business license/tax portals for applicability).
  • Baseline compliance with County building, health, and fire safety codes is mandatory.
• Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)
  • TOT applies to STRs in Mountain and Desert regions.
  • Mentone STRs are not permitted; therefore, TOT registration is not applicable to STRs. Confirm any other local occupancy or business taxes that might apply to rentals in the Valley.
• California State-Level Requirements
  • Safety and habitability standards under California law.
  • AB5 for property managers and service providers (contractor classification).
  • Eviction protections and just cause requirements under state law (as applicable).
  • Rent stabilization and local just-cause rules do not apply in unincorporated San Bernardino County.
• Zoning and Fire Hazard Mitigation
  • Properties may be within or near hazard areas; the County’s Hazard Element Policy HZ‑1.2 requires adequate mitigation (including safe evacuation and shelter-in-place design) in environmental hazard zones such as high/very high fire hazard severity zones, floodplains, dam/basin inundation, and seismic hazard areas.
  • Confirm parcel-specific hazard designations and mitigation requirements with Land Use Services.

Specific Regulations: City, County, and State

• City Level (Mentone, CA)

  • Mentone is unincorporated; there are no separate municipal STR ordinances. All rules derive from San Bernardino County.

• County Level (San Bernardino County, Unincorporated)

  • STR Status by Region:
    • Mountain and Desert regions: STRs allowed (maximum stay 30 days); requires County STR permit and TOT registration.
    • Valley region (Mentone): STRs (≤30 days) are not permitted; rentals must be ≥31 days.
  • STR Permit Program Administration:
    • Fees fund administration and code enforcement; County has invested in enforcement activity, particularly in Lake Arrowhead.
  • Housing Element Program 4:
    • County will study impacts of STRs on long-term housing and may implement caps or incentives in Mountain/Desert regions by 2024; results may influence future policies but do not currently reclassify the Valley region for STRs.
  • Fire and Environmental Hazards:
    • Policy HZ‑1.2 requires mitigation in hazard zones; STR activity is concentrated in Mountain/Desert, but property-specific hazards may exist in the Valley.
  • Tax Considerations:
    • STR permits and TOT registration apply only in Mountain/Desert; Mentone STRs are not permitted, so TOT is not applicable to STRs.

• State Level (California)

  • STRs are generally governed locally; no statewide prohibition on STRs, but cities/counties may set rules.
  • Minimum stay rules and caps are permissible; state labor laws (e.g., AB5), tenant protections, and habitability standards apply regardless of STR status.
  • Eviction protections and just-cause rules do not apply in unincorporated San Bernardino County.

Practical Constraints Specific to Mentone

• STR prohibition: The Valley region’s ≥31-day minimum stay effectively bans STRs of 30 days or fewer in Mentone.
• Long-term rental focus: Investors should target 12‑month or month‑to‑month LTR strategies. County-level STR programs and related permitting/TOT do not apply to Mentone properties.

Key Market Indicators (Context for Valley Region)

The County’s technical memorandum confirms that STR activity has distinct impacts in certain unincorporated communities—especially Joshua Tree (East Desert)—where STRs represent 29% of the housing stock and highly active STRs (>60 nights/year) exceed 9% of local housing. By contrast, Mountain region communities have mixed indicators, and many areas are not materially affected. These findings primarily concern the Mountain and Desert regions and do not change the Valley region’s STR prohibition.

For Mentone investors, the primary takeaway is that local policy is already clear: STRs are not permitted, and long-term rental strategies are the compliant pathway.

Contacts and Authorities

• San Bernardino County, Land Use Services (Planning/Zoning and STR Program):
  • Website: lus.sbcounty.gov
• San Bernardino County, Community Development and Housing (Housing Element implementation):
  • Website: lus.sbcounty.gov
• San Bernardino County, Code Enforcement:
  • Website: See County Code Enforcement through Land Use Services or County Sheriff’s Department channels.
• County Fire/Hazard Mitigation:
  • Contact: Land Use Services (Hazards and Policy Plan)
  • Policy HZ‑1.2 reference: See County Hazard Element (Policy HZ‑1.2) via County websites.
• County TOT/Transient Occupancy Registration (STRs applicable only in Mountain/Desert):
  • Contact: San Bernardino County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office
  • Website: ttc.sbcounty.gov

Note: Phone/email are not provided in the available content. Use the listed websites for current contacts, forms, and application procedures.

Source Links

• lus.sbcounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/Planning/SBC-STR-TechMemo-May2024-Final.pdf

Notes for STR Investors

• If you are exploring nearby communities in the Mountain or East Desert regions (e.g., Big Bear City, Lake Arrowhead, Joshua Tree), STR permits, TOT registration, and specific caps or performance-based requirements may apply and vary by community. Those rules are not addressed here and are outside Mentone’s regulatory scope.

Action Checklist (Mentone, CA)

• Confirm parcel is within unincorporated San Bernardino County, Valley region.
• Confirm that all rental agreements specify minimum 31‑day stays.
• Ensure compliance with County building, health, and fire safety codes; evaluate hazard mitigation per Policy HZ‑1.2.
• Prepare standard LTR documentation; select landlord insurance appropriate for long-term tenancy.
• Verify any local business tax or reporting obligations; do not apply for STR permits or TOT registration (not applicable to Mentone STRs).
• For statewide compliance, review AB5, habitability standards, and tenant protections.

This guide is based solely on the provided County technical memorandum (May 2024) and does not rely on external searches or unverified sources.