10 verified short-term rentals rules for Merced, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
The City of Merced has no dedicated short-term-rental permit or ordinance in its Municipal Code. STRs are not separately licensed. The applicable city requirements are a general business license (Title 5) and the Transient Occupancy Tax (Chapter 3.08). A bed and breakfast use needs a conditional use permit under Section 20.44.030.
Merced has no short-term-rental-specific noise rule, but the city's general noise regulations apply to any rental property and its guests. There is no STR ordinance carving out separate quiet hours for rentals, so guest noise is enforced under the citywide noise provisions and nuisance rules that apply to all residents.
The City of Merced levies a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent for stays of 30 days or less under Section 3.08.030 (rate set by Ord. 1936 in 1996). Operators collect it from guests, file quarterly returns with the finance officer, and remit by the last day of the month after each calendar quarter. Late payment triggers penalties and interest.
Merced imposes no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement, because the city has no STR ordinance. Parking for dwellings follows the general off-street parking standards in Chapter 20.38. The only transient-lodging parking ratio in code is for bed and breakfasts: one space per bedroom, plus two for the owner, plus one per employee.
The City of Merced sets no short-term-rental-specific occupancy cap, because it has no STR ordinance. General building, fire and zoning standards govern how many people may occupy a dwelling. The only related coded limit is for bed and breakfasts, which may offer up to 12 guest rooms under Section 20.44.030 with the owner residing on site.
The City of Merced does not require liability insurance for short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. No minimum coverage amount appears in the city code for STRs. Hosts typically rely on platform-provided host protection and their own homeowner or landlord policies, but those are private contracts, not a city mandate.
The City of Merced sets no annual night cap or rental-day limit on short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. The only relevant time threshold in code is the 30-day line that defines a transient for tax purposes: stays of 30 days or less are subject to the 10% Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 3.08.
Merced has no STR-specific registration. The closest requirement is the Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate under Section 3.08.050: any operator renting to transients must register the property with the finance officer within 30 days of starting, and post the certificate conspicuously on the premises. The certificate is for tax collection, not a land-use permit.
Merced has no host-presence or on-site-host requirement for short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. The only on-site presence requirement in code is for bed and breakfasts, where the owner must reside on the premises (Section 20.44.030). ADUs are barred from transient renting entirely under Section 20.42.040.
The City of Merced imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. A primary-residence/owner-occupancy rule appears in code only for bed and breakfasts (Section 20.44.030) and for accessory dwelling units (Section 20.42.040), not for ordinary short-term rentals.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Merced city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Merced County →