Vacation Rental Rules in Sonoma County
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Whether you can rent a Sonoma County home by the night depends first on where it is: the City of Sonoma has allowed no new vacation rentals since early 2018, while unincorporated areas allow them only in certain zones and only with a county permit, a license, a transient occupancy tax number and a certified property manager.
Some neighborhoods are capped or excluded, and some property types never qualify. Here’s how the rules work, where rentals are and aren’t allowed, and what to check before you buy a home for rental income.
Start with the jurisdiction
| Where the home is | Who sets the rules | New vacation rentals? |
|---|---|---|
| City of Sonoma | City of Sonoma | No, except the adaptive reuse of a historic structure |
| Unincorporated county (Glen Ellen, Kenwood, the Springs, the Russian River, the coast and more) | Permit Sonoma | Only in eligible zones, with a permit and license |
| Other incorporated cities (Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Petaluma and others) | Each city | Varies; check that city’s code |
A “Sonoma” mailing address doesn’t tell you which applies. Check the parcel on the county’s zoning database before you rely on any rental income.
City of Sonoma
The City Council adopted regulations prohibiting new vacation rentals, effective in early 2018. Existing licensed vacation rentals may continue if they meet updated operating standards, and new applications are limited to the adaptive reuse of a historic structure (City of Sonoma). In practice, if you buy a home in town, plan on living in it or renting it for 30 days or more. Our guide to how tourism affects the Sonoma market explains what that means for values.
Unincorporated Sonoma County
What counts as a vacation rental
The county defines a vacation rental as renting a whole private residence for 30 days or less. Bed and breakfast inns and hosted rentals, where the owner lives on site, are regulated separately (Permit Sonoma; hosted rentals).
The four requirements
- A certified vacation rental property manager (Permit Sonoma: property managers)
- A transient vacation rental permit, which is a zoning permit
- A transient occupancy tax (TOT) number
- A vacation rental license under the county’s business license rules, created by Ordinance 6427 in May 2023 (Permit Sonoma: regulations)
Where rentals can be permitted
With a permit, vacation rentals are allowed in the Coastal Zone, in certain AR, RR and PCRR districts, in existing single-family homes in C2, LC and K districts, in certain LEA, DA and RRD zones, and in cap zones that are below their cap (Permit Sonoma).
Where they can’t
- R1, R2 and R3 residential districts
- Williamson Act land within an agricultural preserve, and LIA-zoned property
- Accessory dwelling units
- Farm family, agricultural employee or farmworker housing
- Temporary structures, such as yurts and tiny homes on wheels, and non-habitable structures
- Exclusion (X) combining districts, and cap zones that have reached their cap
Operating standards
Changes the Board of Supervisors approved in April 2023 include a maximum of 12 guests regardless of home size, one on-street parking space, an evacuation plan, defensible space, licenses only for individuals or family trusts, and one license per person (Permit Sonoma). The same action added cap and exclusion zones in neighborhoods with high concentrations of rentals, and applied cap and exclusion zones to specific parcels in the 1st, 4th and 5th supervisorial districts (Ordinance 6423). Fractional-ownership short-term use is treated as a timeshare and allowed only in the K zone. If you’re looking at shared ownership, read our guide to Pacaso and co-ownership.
Use the county’s vacation rental map viewer to see permits, caps and exclusion zones for a specific address. In 2023, staff and the Planning Commission also recommended exclusion zones for small neighborhoods in Glen Ellen and Kenwood (Permit Sonoma); check the adopted map rather than assuming.
Buying a home for rental income: checklist
- Confirm the jurisdiction and zoning on the county database or with the city.
- Check the map viewer for caps and exclusion zones.
- Ask whether a permit exists and whether it can continue under a new owner. Licenses are personal, so assume you’ll need your own.
- Check the property type: ADUs, Williamson Act land and LIA parcels don’t qualify.
- Check septic capacity and parking, which can limit occupancy. Our wells and septic guide covers inspections.
- Review HOA rules and deed restrictions, which can be stricter than the county.
- Budget honestly: TOT, management fees, cleaning, insurance for rental use, furnishing and vacancy.
- Make sure the purchase still works as a second home or long-term rental if the short-term plan falls through.
How big is the visitor market?
Sonoma County Tourism counted about 4.8 million overnight visitors and 5.5 million day visitors in 2024, and tourism supported 22,502 jobs and $218.4 million in state and local taxes (Sonoma County Tourism; benefits of tourism). Rentals are allowed in the Coastal Zone and parts of the rural county, but some of those areas also have caps and exclusion zones. For river-town options, see our guides to Guerneville and Monte Rio.
Alternatives to nightly rentals
- Rentals of more than 30 days aren’t vacation rentals under the county definition.
- Hosted rentals where you live on site have their own permit.
- A second home you use yourself, perhaps with occasional longer-term tenants. See our guide to buying a second home in Sonoma County.
For investment options more broadly, see our Sonoma investment property guide. Considering a specific home? Contact us and we’ll check the parcel’s zoning, permits and map status with you.
Questions people ask
Can I get a new vacation rental permit in the City of Sonoma?
Not for an ordinary home. New applications are limited to adaptive reuse of a historic structure.
Can I rent out my ADU short term?
Not in unincorporated Sonoma County, where ADUs are excluded from vacation rental use.
Does an existing permit transfer when I buy?
Don’t assume it does. Licenses are issued to individuals or family trusts, one per person. Ask Permit Sonoma what a new owner needs.
Who do neighbors call about a problem rental?
The county runs a complaint process, and every permitted rental has a certified property manager as a contact.
Sources & notes
- City of Sonoma: vacation rentals; Permit Sonoma: vacation rentals; Permit Sonoma: regulations and ordinances; Permit Sonoma: April 2023 changes
- ZCE23-0001 Planning Commission table; vacation rental map viewer; zoning database
- Sonoma County Tourism 2024 Quick Facts; Benefits of tourism
Rules change; confirm the current requirements with Permit Sonoma or the city before you buy. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
