Short-Term Rental Rules in California: County and City Guide

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

California has no single statewide short-term rental permit. Each county controls its unincorporated areas, and each city sets its own rules, so whether you can rent a home for under 30 days depends on the parcel’s jurisdiction, its zoning, and whether you live there while guests stay. The City of Sonoma allows no new vacation rentals, unincorporated Napa County restricts transient use of dwellings, and Santa Rosa, the City of Napa, Marin County and San Diego cap permits or use waitlists. Check the parcel before you write an offer.

This page summarizes each jurisdiction’s own official page. Rules, caps and tax rates change by ordinance, so confirm current rules with the city or county before you buy or list.

How California short-term rental rules are built

Expect three layers: land use permission (a zoning permit, use permit or license saying an STR is allowed on the parcel), an operating license with occupancy, parking and contact standards, and tax registration for the transient occupancy tax (TOT), the hotel tax on short stays, sometimes with a tourism assessment on top. Most jurisdictions also separate hosted rentals (you live on the property during the stay) from unhosted whole-home rentals. The caps and waitlists usually fall on whole-home rentals.

Short-term rental rules by jurisdiction

Each entry comes from the jurisdiction’s own page. "Not stated" means that page didn’t give the detail, not that no rule exists.

Santa Cruz County area caps

Santa Cruz County publishes a fixed number of permits by area. These are the figures on the county’s short-term rental page as of November 2026:

In the three designated areas, the county also limits short-term rentals to 20% of the residential block, and won’t issue a non-hosted permit next to two or more parcels that already hold one. The county reviews availability on January 15 and July 15 and keeps a paid waitlist.

County-by-county notes for buyers

Sonoma County

Unincorporated Sonoma County has the most detailed program in the North Bay. The county treats a vacation rental as renting a private residence for 30 days or less. Since 2023 it has required a separate vacation rental license on top of the zoning permit (Ordinance 6427, adopted May 16, 2023), and it applied cap and exclusion zones to specific parcels in the 1st, 4th and 5th Supervisorial Districts (Ordinance 6423, adopted April 24, 2023), according to Permit Sonoma’s regulations page. Use the county’s parcel search to see zoning and any combining district before you count on rental income. Our Sonoma County vacation rental guide goes deeper, and if you plan to hire a manager, see property management in Sonoma County.

Inside city limits, city rules apply instead: Santa Rosa only accepts new hosted applications, for example. Buyers comparing Healdsburg and the surrounding unincorporated area should know the same street can fall on either side of a city line.

Napa County

Napa County’s TOT page points to Code §18.104.410, which restricts transient occupancy of dwellings, and says a TOT certificate doesn’t make an unlawful use lawful. In the City of Napa, every non-hosted permit is taken. Because existing non-hosted permits can transfer to a new owner, a listing that comes with one is a different asset from the house next door. Get the permit status in writing during escrow. More detail on the county and each Napa Valley town is in our Napa County vacation rental guide.

Marin County

Marin County’s program runs by license, with a countywide cap and limits in 18 townships, including Bolinas, Inverness, Olema, Point Reyes Station, Stinson Beach and Tomales. Applicants wait for an invitation. The county’s fee schedule rewards a primary home: $300 versus $600 for a new non-primary application. Towns and cities in Marin set their own rules. See our Marin County short-term rental guide for the township list and city-by-city notes.

San Francisco

San Francisco only allows short-term rental of the host’s own primary residence. Investors can’t buy a second unit to rent short term. The 90-night unhosted limit and the 275-night residency rule make a San Francisco STR a way to offset costs on a home you live in, not an investment strategy.

San Diego

As of October 23, 2026, the City of San Diego reported 807 Tier 3 whole-home licenses remaining and none in Mission Beach. Licenses expire after two years, and Tier 3 and 4 hosts must operate at least 90 days a year.

Due diligence before you buy for short-term rental income

• Confirm the jurisdiction and zoning with the planning department, not the listing. The mailing address city doesn’t always match the jurisdiction.
• Ask whether a permit transfers. San Francisco’s is tied to the resident. San Diego’s licenses don’t transfer. The City of Napa allows transfer of existing non-hosted permits. In Marin, ask the county directly, because its STR page doesn’t address sale.
• Check ADU limits. Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz County and San Diego all restrict STR use of accessory units.
• Read the HOA CC&Rs. Santa Rosa tells applicants to check them before applying.
• Underwrite without STR income first. If the numbers only work with nightly rents, the deal depends on a permit you may not get. Our rental property analysis walks through long-term rent assumptions.
• Plan the tax side. If you later sell, how you used the home affects exchange treatment. See 1031 exchanges for vacation homes.

Questions people ask

Do I need a permit to rent my house on Airbnb in California?

In most places Diamond serves, yes. The county (unincorporated areas) or city sets the rule, and nearly every jurisdiction requires at least TOT registration for stays under 30 days. Many also require a zoning permit or license.

What counts as a short-term rental?

Most jurisdictions above use stays of 30 days or less, or under 30 days. San Diego’s TOT uses "less than one month" measured by calendar dates. Check the exact wording for your jurisdiction.

Can I buy a home in Napa or Sonoma just to use as a vacation rental?

Only in limited spots. Unincorporated Napa County restricts transient occupancy of dwellings, the City of Napa’s non-hosted permits are full, and the City of Sonoma allows no new vacation rentals. In unincorporated Sonoma County it depends on zoning and cap or exclusion districts.

Is a hosted rental easier to get than a whole-home rental?

Usually. Sonoma County’s hosted permit needs no certified manager, and Santa Rosa allows hosted rentals citywide while non-hosted permits are closed.

Does a vacation rental permit transfer when I buy the house?

It depends. The City of Napa allows transfer of existing non-hosted permits. San Diego licenses don’t transfer, and San Francisco registration belongs to the resident host. Ask for written confirmation from the jurisdiction before you remove contingencies.

How much is the hotel tax on short-term rentals?

Posted rates in the table run from 10% (unincorporated Marin) to 14% (Healdsburg, San Francisco, West Marin), often plus a tourism assessment. Check the current rate with the tax collector.

Can I rent out my ADU as a short-term rental?

Often not. Sonoma County, Santa Rosa (most ADUs and JADUs), Santa Cruz County (properties with an ADU or JADU) and San Diego (with limited exceptions) exclude them. Marin’s STR page doesn’t address ADUs, so ask the county.

Where do I confirm current rules?

Ask each row’s planning department and tax collector for zoning, permit status and waitlist position in writing. Contact Diamond if you’d like help pulling that before an offer.

Sources & notes

1. Permit Sonoma — Vacation Rentals, Hosted Rentals and Vacation Rental Regulations.
2. Sonoma County — Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT/BIA).
3. City of Sonoma — Opening a vacation rental business.
4. City of Healdsburg — Vacation Rentals and Transient Occupancy Tax.
5. City of Santa Rosa — Short-Term Rental FAQ and City Code Chapter 20-48.
6. Napa County — Transient Occupancy Tax.
7. City of Napa — Vacation Rental Permits and TOT Remittance Form, effective June 16, 2025.
8. Marin County — Short-Term Rental (STR), Learn about TOT and West Marin TOT increase (Measure W).
9. San Francisco Planning — Short-Term Rental FAQs and SF Treasurer & Tax Collector — TOT.
10. City of San Diego — Short-Term Residential Occupancy and Transient Occupancy Tax.
11. Santa Cruz County — Short-Term Rentals.
12. Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector — Transient Occupancy Tax.

Notes: Caps, permit counts and tax rates are as posted on each official page when reviewed in November 2026, and they change by ordinance and resolution. Check the current figure with the jurisdiction. Monterey County planning rules, and the TOT rates for the City of Sonoma, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz County, could not be verified from official pages for this review, so they are left out. Contact those agencies directly. Incorporated cities inside each county (for example Calistoga, St. Helena, Sausalito, Monterey, Santa Cruz) have their own rules, which are not covered in this table.

General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Updated November 2026. Primary sources are linked in this guide.

Related: Investors · Sonoma County vacation rental rules · Co-buying a vacation home