Irvine, California Short Term Rental Regulations

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Reviewed by Derick Hargrave

Last updated August 23, 2023

Irvine Short-Term Rental Regulations

Information is maintained by the community to provide helpful insights and links to local regulations, HostScouts does not provide legal or investment advice.

City Code of Ordinances

Short-term rentals are prohibited in all residential zones. As outlined in City of Irvine Zoning Section 3-25-3.A, “no responsible party shall operate or allow the operation of a short-term rental in any residential zoning district within the City.” It violates the City of Irvine Zoning Ordinance to post, publish, circulate, or maintain any advertisement for a short-term rental. This includes listing the short-term rental on booking websites like Airbnb, Homeaway, and VRBO.  Homeowner’s Association, through Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs), may also be a resource available to enforce short-term rentals. More information can be found here
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  • Short Term City Rating
    4.6
  • Competition

    5.5
  • Real Estate Cost

    3.4
  • STR Regulations

    2.0
  • Seasonality

    5.1
  • Rental Rates

    7.1

Irvine, California Quick Stats

Short-term rentals have gained a lot of traction in the last few years. The trends and statistics of this sector are constantly changing, and having access to accurate data is essential for making sound investment decisions.

Population
307,670
STR License Required
No
Tourist Season
June to August
County
Orange
Airports
John Wayne Airport (SNA)
Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Review our Irvine California short-term rental analytics guide, including rates, property types and other metrics

Want to learn more about Irvine?

Hostscouts has you covered. Our guides for this city cover topics that can help you research cities across the US quickly and easily.

Check out our Irvine rental analytics guide if you're interested in data on the Irvine rental market.

City Activities

Review the popular activities that hosts include in their property positing in Irvine.

City Attractions

The most popular local and regional landmarks hosts usually include in their Airbnb or Vrbo property listings.

Irvine Rental Rates & Fees

Explore nightly rates that hosts list their properties and the average fees for pets and additional guests.

Property Types & Sizes

What are the most popular property sizes for rent? Research whether a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom best fits Irvine guests.

Interested in other California cities?

Check out the California Airbnb rules directory 

What makes Irvine a great place to invest?

Irvine, California, is a beautiful city located in Orange County. The city is home to many great tourist attractions, amenities, and popular tourist spots. Major sports teams call Irvine home; the weather is perfect for year-round activities. Here are some of the highlights of what Irvine has to offer:

Major Tourist Attractions:
  • Irvine Spectrum Center: an open-air shopping center with over 130 stores, restaurants, and entertainment options. 
  • Orange County Great Park: a 3,000+ acre park that features a balloon ride, carousel, aviation museum, and much more.
  • Heritage Park: a 40-acre park home to a playground, picnic areas, sports fields, and a walking trail.
 Amenities:
  • Irvine has over 50 parks offering residents and visitors plenty of green space to enjoy.
  • The city is home to two world-class performing arts venues – the Irvine Barclay Theatre and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
  • Irvine also has the John Wayne Airport, which offers domestic and international flights.

Irvine Nearby Cities

Local Real Estate

How expensive is the real estate in Irvine?

The cost of real estate can vary widely depending on the location, size, and features of the property, as well as market conditions. The median home value in Irvine has increased 1% over the past year, and the average price per square foot is $570, which is higher than the national average.

Median Sale Price

$906,049

1% YoY

Median per Square Foot

$570

-1% YoY

Average Monthly Rent

$2,979

1% YoY

Local Short-Term Rental News for Irvine

Property Descriptions

The most common terms hosts include in their listings for Irvine, California

Word Cloud for Irvine, California Short Term Rentals

Common terms for Irvine short term rental listings.

When potential guests are scrolling through listings on Airbnb, they’re looking for certain essential information to help them decide if your property is the right fit for their needs. As a host, ensuring that your listing includes all the relevant information that guests will be looking for is vital.

Some of the must-have elements of a property description include:

  • Location: Guests will want to know where your property is located in relation to popular attractions, public transportation, and other points of interest.
  • Amenities: What amenities does your property offer? Be sure to list all features guests can access, such as a pool, hot tub, parking, etc.
  • Informative: The average listing in Irvine has a description approximately 1,291 words long. Make sure yours is long enough to describe your property but doesn't require your potential guest to read a novel.

After reviewing more than 1,799 listings in Irvine, we've consolidated the most common terms on the word cloud. The larger text represents a term that is used more often. The top ten mentioned terms are Mi km, Disneyland, Santa Ana, Perfect, Pool, Place, Sleep, Orange County, Family, and Patio.

What are the most popular tourist activities in Irvine?

Whether renting a house, an apartment, or a room, you should include popular tourist activities in your posting. The most common choices mentioned on property listings in Irvine involve Theme Parks, Museums, the Zoo, Outlet Shopping, and Water Parks. When you write your listing, have a section with recommended activities near the property to give your guests an idea of what is available.

Theme Parks

Museums

Zoo

Outlet Shopping

Water Parks

Health Spa

City Centre

Hiking

Adventure Activities

Whale Watching

Swimming

Surfing

Local Attractions

What attractions do hosts highlight to guests?

There are quite a few popular attractions in Irvine, including Disneyland Resort, Disney California Adventure Park, Anaheim Convention Center, Downtown Disney District, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Below we've included the most popular local and regional landmarks hosts usually include in their Airbnb or Vrbo property listings. Many hosts like to show off lesser-known regional landmarks visitors might not have heard of.

Regional Landmark

Santa Ana Zoo

Included on 64% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Disney California Adventure Park

Included on 59% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Downtown Disney District

Included on 59% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Disneyland Resort

Included on 59% of listings

Well Known Attraction

South Coast Plaza

Included on 59% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Included on 59% of listings

Well Known Attraction

University of California, Irvine

Included on 59% of listings

Regional Landmark

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Included on 59% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Chapman University

Included on 58% of listings

Regional Landmark

UC Irvine Medical Center

Included on 58% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Anaheim Convention Center

Included on 58% of listings

Well Known Attraction

Honda Center

Included on 58% of listings

What’s the weather like in Irvine, California?

The weather is about the same as the national average, with an average high temperature of around 73°, while the average low is about 56°. It has normal rainfall, averaging about 11 inches per year, compared to the national average of about 27 inches. Snowfall is scarce, with an average year having no snowfall. The humidity levels in Irvine are generally lower than the national average, and the city has a mix of clouds and sunshine for most of the year.

Winter

December through February

49° Low 67° High

Precipitation
7.2"
Snowfall
0.0"
Muggy Days
0.0 days
Cloudiness
38%

Spring

March through May

54° Low 71° High

Precipitation
2.7"
Snowfall
0.0"
Muggy Days
0.0 days
Cloudiness
27%

Summer

June through August

64° Low 79° High

Precipitation
0.1"
Snowfall
0.0"
Muggy Days
7.5 days
Cloudiness
11%

Fall

September through November

58° Low 76° High

Precipitation
1.4"
Snowfall
0.0"
Muggy Days
3.7 days
Cloudiness
19%