Short-Term Rentals in Marin County, CA (2026)
7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Marin County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Operating or even advertising a short-term rental in unincorporated Marin County without a valid license is illegal under Code Section 5.41.050(A). Licenses run two years, one per property owner, and are capped countywide at 1,200, with township-level caps and wait lists once an area fills up.
Marin County Short-Term Rental License Required
Significant RestrictionsMarin County Code of Ordinances § 5.41.050
A.License Required. Advertising or operating a short term rental without a valid and current short term rental license issued pursuant to the requirements of this chapter are prohibited. Once a license expires or is revoked or suspended, the short term rental operation must immediately cease.B.License For Property Owner. A short term rental licensee must own the property where the short term re...
Noise Rules
Marin County holds short-term rental owners responsible for keeping their guests within the county's general noise law. Section 5.41.060(5) ties every STR directly to Section 6.70.030's noise standards, and any loud or unreasonable noise that disturbs neighbors, day or night, is a Code violation the owner must prevent.
Marin County STR Guest Noise Standards
Some RestrictionsMarin County Code of Ordinances §§ 5.41.060(5), 6.70.020, 6.70.030
5.Noise. The short term rental property owner is responsible for ensuring that any and all guests of a short term rental comply with the noise standards of Section 6.70.030 (Loud and Unnecessary Noises). ... 6.70.020 - Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or e...
Taxes & Fees
Anyone renting out a room, cottage or whole house to guests for less than 30 days in unincorporated Marin County must collect a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on the rent and remit it to the county tax collector under County Code section 3.05.030, the same rate charged by traditional hotels and motels.
Marin County Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax
Some RestrictionsMarin County Code of Ordinances § 3.05.030
For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of ten percent of the rent charged by the operator. The tax constitutes a debt owed by the transient to the county, which is extinguished only by payment to the operator or to the county. The transient shall pay the tax to the operator of the hotel at the time the rent is paid. If the ren...
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Every short-term rental in unincorporated Marin County must provide off-street parking that meets the county's general zoning standards. Section 5.41.060(4) ties STR parking directly to Section 24.04.340, which sets a base standard of two spaces per unit for detached single-family homes and duplexes, the housing type most STRs occupy.
Marin County STR Parking Space Requirements
Some RestrictionsMarin County Code of Ordinances §§ 5.41.060(4), 24.04.340
4.Short Term Rental Parking Requirements. Parking spaces must be provided for properties with short term rentals as follows:i.The number of required parking spaces for short term rentals shall comply with Marin County Code Section 24.04.340 (Minimum Required Parking Spaces), as verified by the department of public works. This standard does not apply to short term rentals being legally operated ...
Occupancy Limits
Marin County requires short-term rental owners to notify occupants of neighboring properties before obtaining or renewing a business license. The 2024 ordinance also limits new non-primary STRs through waitlists when townships exceed their license cap.
Marin County Short-Term Rental Neighbor Notification
Light RestrictionsCal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 17920.3 (Substandard Housing Definitions)
uired by this code, except those buildings or portions thereof that conformed with all applicable laws at the time of their construction and whose fire-resistive integrity and fire-extinguishing systems or equipment have been adequately maintained and improved in relation to any increase in occupant load, alteration or addition, or any change in occupancy. (n) All buildings or portions thereof ...
Host Presence Rule
Marin County splits short-term rentals into 'hosted' units, the primary residence of the owner or a designated host, and 'unhosted' units with no resident overseeing them. Under Code Section 5.41.060(13), owners of hosted rentals must name a host who lives on the property and answers guest-conduct complaints; unhosted rentals need a local contact person instead.
Hosted vs. Unhosted Short-Term Rentals Defined
Some RestrictionsMarin County Code of Ordinances §§ 5.41.020, 5.41.060(13)
"Host": A host is a person identified by a short term rental property owner to reside at the property at which a short term rental is located. "Hosted short term rental": A short term rental that is the primary residence of a short term rental property owner or host. ... "Unhosted short term rental": Short-term rental occupancy of a residential unit on a property that does not provide a primary...
Repeat Violator Strikes
Marin County will not renew a short-term rental license once code enforcement has verified more than three substantial violations of the chapter or the license terms during a single two-year license period. Section 5.41.050(F)(v) sets the threshold, and Section 5.41.080 lets the county suspend or revoke a license even sooner for ongoing violations.
Marin County STR Three-Strikes License Rule
Significant RestrictionsMarin County Code of Ordinances §§ 5.41.050(F)(v), 5.41.080
v.A short term rental license renewal application shall be denied if there have been more than three verified substantial violations of this chapter or of the license requirements related to the short term rental during the previous license term. Substantial violations are violations for which a complaint has been received and a code enforcement case opened with an investigation verifying the e...
Short-Term Rentals by City in Marin County
1 cities in Marin County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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