5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Napa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Napa County prohibits short-term vacation rentals of dwelling units under Napa County Code Section 18.104.410, which bars 'transient commercial occupancies of dwelling units' for any commercial use lasting fewer than 30 consecutive days. The ban applies countywide outside the incorporated cities (Napa, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, American Canyon); only legally permitted bed and breakfast establishments, hotels, motels, residential care facilities, family day care homes, and farm labor camps are exempt. There is no permit pathway to operate a new vacation rental of a house, cottage, or guest unit in unincorporated areas.
Because Napa County Code Section 18.104.410 prohibits short-term vacation rentals of dwelling units in unincorporated areas, the county has no STR-specific quiet-hours or decibel schedule for hosts to follow. Any commercial transient occupancy is itself a zoning violation, and conventional residential noise, nuisance, and disturbing-the-peace provisions apply to occupants regardless of how the property is being rented. Complaints route to Napa County Code Compliance and the Sheriff's Office.
Unincorporated Napa County imposes a 13% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on stays of 30 consecutive days or less under Napa County Code Chapter 3.32, plus a 2% Tourism Business Improvement District assessment reported concurrently. Lodging operators must register with the County Auditor-Controller, post the Certificate of Authority on the premises, and remit quarterly. Although STRs of dwelling units are themselves prohibited under Section 18.104.410, the county may still collect back TOT, penalty, and interest under Section 3.32.080 from anyone who operates an unpermitted STR.
Because Napa County Code Section 18.104.410 prohibits short-term vacation rentals of dwelling units in the unincorporated county, there is no county-published occupancy schedule, no per-bedroom cap, and no daytime-event headcount for hosts to follow. The threshold is binary: any commercial use of a dwelling unit for under 30 consecutive days is itself the violation. Occupancy rules in the California Building Code and standard residential nuisance provisions still apply to occupants.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17920.3
17920.3. Any building or portion thereof, regardless of zoning designation or approved uses of the building, including any dwelling unit, guestroom or suite of rooms, or the premises on which the same is located, in which there exists any of the following listed conditions to an extent that endangers the life, limb, health, property, safety, or welfare of the occupants of the building, nearby r...
Napa County does not operate a short-term rental registration or licensing program for unincorporated areas because Section 18.104.410 prohibits the underlying use. There is no platform-host registry, no permit number to display on listings, and no annual renewal pathway. Operators who collect a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate under Code Chapter 3.32 are not thereby authorized to operate an STR; the TOT certificate and the zoning prohibition operate independently.
1 cities in Napa County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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