11 verified short-term rentals rules for Sonoma, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Under Sonoma Municipal Code § 19.50.110 (adopted by Ordinance 12-2017 on Dec. 4, 2017), new vacation rentals are not allowed in any residential, mixed-use, or commercial zone of the City of Sonoma. The only exception is the adaptive re-use of a historic structure, and only previously licensed rentals (valid business license + TOT registration as of Nov. 3, 1999) may continue as legal non-conforming uses.
Permitted Sonoma vacation rentals are subject to a flat prohibition on outdoor amplified sound and must designate a property manager with City-on-file contact information who responds to neighbor complaints.
Vacation rental operators inside Sonoma city limits collect a 13% Transient Occupancy Tax (Sonoma Municipal Code Ch. 3.16) plus a 2% Sonoma Valley Tourism Improvement District assessment, for a combined 15% added to every stay of 30 days or less.
Sonoma vacation rentals must accommodate guest parking on-site under the conditions of their original use permit and the City's underlying off-street parking standards (SMC Ch. 19.48); on-street overflow that creates neighborhood impacts is grounds for enforcement.
Sonoma's 2017 vacation-rental ordinance limits overnight occupancy to a maximum of two persons per sleeping room plus two additional persons per unit, with no exceptions for children.
The City of Sonoma's vacation-rental ordinance (SMC §19.50.140) does not require operators to carry a minimum liability-insurance policy; California state law similarly does not impose a host-insurance floor, leaving coverage up to the operator and any platform-provided host protection.
Sonoma's vacation-rental ordinance does not impose an annual rental-night cap, but the City has prohibited issuance of new vacation-rental permits since December 4, 2017, effectively freezing the supply.
Even grandfathered Sonoma vacation rentals must hold a current City business license (SMC § 19.50.110(A)(7)) and a Transient Occupancy Tax registration under SMC 3.16.060. Every online advertisement or listing must display the Business License or TOT Certificate number (SMC § 19.50.110(A)(6)).
Sonoma Municipal Code § 19.50.110(A)(5) does NOT require the host to be physically present at the property during a guest stay. Instead, every grandfathered vacation rental must have a designated property manager who is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during all times the unit is rented, with name and contact info on file with the City Planning Department.
Sonoma Municipal Code § 19.50.110 does not impose a primary-residence requirement on the grandfathered pool of vacation rentals because new applications are flatly prohibited. The 'grandfather' test is whether the property held a valid business license and TOT registration on November 3, 1999 — not whether the owner lives there.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sonoma city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Sonoma County →