10 rules for unincorporated Merced County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Merced County, a short-term rental is a listed land use that requires approval of an Administrative Permit (Chapter 18.114). STRs are allowed in agricultural, residential, and commercial zones, subject to the standards in Zoning Code Section 18.60.270.
Short-term rentals must comply with the County's performance standards for noise in Zoning Code Section 18.40.050, and a 24-hour local contact must be available to respond to guest noise and nuisance complaints.
Unincorporated Merced County imposes a Transient Occupancy Tax of 10% of the rent on stays of 30 days or less. Operators collect it from guests and remit quarterly. An Administrative Permit application fee also applies.
Short-term rentals must provide adequate off-street guest parking. Merced County's short-term rental standards require off-street parking, and the County's off-street parking design standards (Chapter 18.38) govern the number and layout of required spaces.
Merced County's short-term rental standards (Section 18.60.270) cap a short-term rental at no more than five guest bedrooms used for transient occupancy at any one time, which functionally limits the number of overnight guests.
Merced County's published short-term rental standards do not state a specific liability-insurance dollar requirement. Hosts are subject to general permit conditions and TOT obligations; the County may add insurance-related conditions through the Administrative Permit on a case-by-case basis.
Merced County's published short-term rental standards do not impose an annual night cap or a fixed maximum number of rented nights per year. Each rental period must be 30 days or less to qualify as a short-term rental, and stays over 30 days fall outside the short-term/TOT framework.
Operators must register with Merced County for a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate within 30 days of starting business, in addition to obtaining the zoning Administrative Permit. The certificate must be posted on the premises.
Merced County requires a designated local contact person available 24 hours a day to respond to problems and emergencies at a short-term rental. In residential zones the rental must be the owner's primary residence, reinforcing host accountability.
In residential zones, a short-term rental must be the owner's primary residence. In commercial zones, an STR is allowed only on a lot already developed with an existing single-family dwelling. The County does not permit conversion of pure investment properties without these conditions.
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