10 verified short-term rentals rules for San Clemente, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
San Clemente requires two approvals before any short-term rental (29 or fewer consecutive days): a one-time STLU Zoning Permit and an annually renewed STLU Operating License. Operating without both is prohibited.
STLU renters and guests may not create unreasonable noise or disturbances, engage in disorderly conduct, or violate the municipal code. The owner must ensure compliance and provide a 24-hour contact who responds on site within 30 minutes.
San Clemente levies a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on all STLU rental charges under Municipal Code Chapter 3.24. STLU operators file TOT returns quarterly. Permit fees are $140 (zoning) and $105 (operating license).
San Clemente STLUs must provide all parking on site. Off-street spaces used to calculate maximum occupancy must stay unobstructed and accessible during every rental. Spaces must meet the Zoning Ordinance minimum stall size of 9 by 19 feet.
Maximum overnight occupancy of a San Clemente STLU is set in the operating license and is tied to the number of legal off-street parking spaces on site, per SCMC 17.28.292.C.11. The owner must limit occupancy by written agreement with each renter.
Every San Clemente STLU owner must obtain and maintain vacation rental property insurance covering the commercial lodging use of the site, provide proof to the City, and resubmit that proof each year at license renewal.
San Clemente's STLU code and permit conditions set no adopted maximum number of rental nights per year; instead they limit each STLU to a single rental contract and require overnight-lodging-only use. A 90-day annual cap was debated by the Planning Commission but is not established as a permit condition.
The STLU Operating License is valid for 12 months and must be reapplied for and renewed each year. Each renewal re-triggers the 300-foot neighbor notification, insurance proof, and TOT-filing obligations.
San Clemente does not require an on-site host for a standard STLU, but the owner must provide a 24-hour emergency contact who responds on site within 30 minutes to complaints about renter conduct or the property's condition.
Standard San Clemente STLUs do not require the owner to live on site. A separate STAR permit exists for apartment rentals in residential zones where STLUs are not allowed; the STAR permit is owner-specific and does not run with the land.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Clemente city rules.
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