10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 10 cities in San Diego County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated San Diego County has not adopted a short-term rental licensing ordinance like the City of San Diego. The County requires no STR permit or business license, but operators must obtain a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate and comply with the County Zoning Ordinance.
Unincorporated San Diego County has no STR-specific noise rule, but the general County Noise Ordinance (Code Sec. 36.404) applies. In most residential zones the one-hour-average sound limit is 50 dBA daytime (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 45 dBA nighttime (10 p.m.-7 a.m.), measured at the property line.
Short-term rentals in unincorporated San Diego County owe an 8% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent for stays of 30 days or less. Operators collect TOT from guests, file quarterly returns, and remit by the last day of the month after each quarter; late payments incur a 5% penalty.
There is no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement in unincorporated San Diego County because the County has no STR ordinance. Parking is governed by the County Zoning Ordinance's general off-street parking standards for residential dwellings and by any applicable fire-access road rules.
Unincorporated San Diego County has no short-term-rental-specific occupancy cap, because the County never adopted an STR licensing ordinance. Maximum occupancy is governed by general Building, Fire, and Zoning Code limits for the dwelling rather than a per-rental guest formula.
California Health and Safety Code § 17920.3 (Substandard buildings — conditions deemed substandard, including overcrowding and habitability)
29] ( Chapter 2 added by Stats. 1961, Ch. 1844. ) 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 ...
Unincorporated San Diego County does not require a short-term rental operator to carry a specific liability-insurance amount, because the County has no STR ordinance mandating coverage. Insurance is strongly advised but is governed by the operator's policy and any hosting-platform requirements rather than County code.
Unincorporated San Diego County imposes no annual cap on the number of nights a property may be short-term rented. With no County STR ordinance, there is no rented-night limit, lottery, or per-area quota; the only night-related threshold is the 30-day definition that determines when Transient Occupancy Tax applies.
Short-term rental operators in unincorporated San Diego County must register with the Treasurer-Tax Collector and obtain a transient occupancy registration certificate. Registration opened June 11, 2024 via the Host Compliance portal; operators register within 30 days of commencing business and re-register annually each July.
Unincorporated San Diego County does not require a host to be present, on-site, or even local during a short-term rental stay. With no County STR ordinance, there is no mandatory local-contact or 24-hour-responsible-person requirement; operators must, however, register for and remit Transient Occupancy Tax.
Unincorporated San Diego County does not require a short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence. Because the County never adopted an STR licensing ordinance, whole-home, non-owner-occupied rentals are not prohibited by County STR law, though zoning and TOT rules still apply.
10 cities in San Diego County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
9 verified rules • Host Presence Rule, Insurance Requirements
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
10 verified rules • Host Presence Rule, Insurance Requirements
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