10 rules for unincorporated Colusa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Colusa County has no standalone short-term rental ordinance. Overnight lodging is handled through the Zoning Code as a recreational lodging facility, farmstay or bed-and-breakfast inn. Depending on the zone and scale, a Use Permit may be required, plus a County business license and TOT registration.
Colusa County has no STR-specific noise limit. Noise is controlled through general nuisance authority and zoning standards; the Zoning Code treats homes and residences as noise-sensitive receptors. Ancillary events at lodging uses (weddings, receptions) require a Use or Temporary Use Permit that can impose noise conditions.
Unincorporated Colusa County levies a transient occupancy tax of 4% of rent on stays of 30 days or less under County Code Chapter 18A. Operators must collect TOT from guests, register, and remit it. Late payment triggers penalties of 10%, an added 10%, and up to 25% for fraud, plus interest.
Colusa County has no STR-specific parking standard. Lodging facilities must provide on-site parking per the Zoning Code's general parking standards (Section 44-3.20), and the entrance, parking area and walkways must be kept clear of obstructions and hazards. Off-street parking is part of the lodging-use review.
There is no blanket per-guest cap for short-term rentals, but the Zoning Code limits the owner-occupied lodging types. A farmstay is capped at four guest rooms and eight guests at one time; a bed-and-breakfast inn may have up to 12 guest rooms within the primary and secondary dwellings.
Colusa County's Zoning Code and transient occupancy tax chapter do not impose a short-term-rental insurance or liability-coverage mandate. Instead, lodging uses must meet health, water, sewage and building-code standards. Hosts should carry appropriate coverage voluntarily and confirm any condition in a Use Permit.
Colusa County sets no annual cap on the number of nights a short-term rental may operate. The 30-day threshold in the transient occupancy tax defines what counts as a transient stay, but there is no limit on how many such stays a permitted lodging use may host in a year.
There is no STR-specific registration program, but any lodging operator must register for the County's transient occupancy tax and hold a business license. Colusa County Code Chapter 18A requires hotel operators (which includes short-term lodging) to obtain a transient occupancy registration certificate and post it on the premises.
Colusa County has no separate host-presence mandate, but the owner-occupied lodging paths effectively require a resident host. Farmstays and bed-and-breakfast inns require the owner to live in the primary or secondary dwelling, and farmstays involve the host familiarizing guests with farm activities.
Colusa County has no general primary-residence STR rule, but its two owner-occupied lodging paths require the owner to live on-site. Farmstays and bed-and-breakfast inns both require the property owner to reside in the primary or secondary dwelling. Non-owner-occupied whole-house rentals are not expressly authorized.
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