Monterey County, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lawful rental
- 31 consecutive calendar days
- Prohibited
- Any rental of 30 days or fewer
- Applies to
- Whole unit or any portion of it
- Scope
- Coastal Zone districts under Title 20
- Related rule
- ADUs excluded from vacation rental licensing
Summary
Monterey County's Coastal Zone ADU and JADU regulations bar renting an accessory dwelling unit, junior accessory dwelling unit, or any part of one for 30 consecutive days or fewer; a separate rental is legal only if it runs 31 consecutive days or longer.
An ADU or JADU may be separately rented, provided such rental is for 31 consecutive calendar days or longer. Rental of an ADU, a JADU, or a portion of an ADU or JADU for 30 consecutive calendar days or fewer is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
030(C)(1), including High, Medium, Low and Rural Density Residential and Watershed and Scenic Conservation districts, wherever an ADU or JADU is permitted. 030(D)(2) backs that exclusion with its own minimum-stay floor inside the zoning code itself. Because ADUs are meant to add long-term housing stock, particularly along the high-tourism Carmel-area and Big Sur coastline, this section closes the loophole of using a legally permitted ADU as a nightly or weekly vacation unit instead.
Violations & Fines
Advertising or renting a coastal-zone ADU or JADU, or any room within one, for a stay of 30 consecutive days or fewer violates §20.64.030(D)(2) regardless of whether the operator holds a vacation rental license, because ADUs and JADUs are not eligible vacation rental structures under Chapter 7.120 in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out my coastal Monterey County ADU on a nightly basis?
Does it matter if I only rent out one room of the ADU short-term?
Can I get a vacation rental license for my ADU instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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