Short-Term Rentals in San Luis Obispo County, CA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Every short-term rental in unincorporated San Luis Obispo County must obtain a Zoning Clearance, a County Business License, and a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate before renting. Inland properties are governed by County Code Section 22.30.510; coastal properties (Cambria, Cayucos, Avila Beach, and other Coastal Zone parcels) by Section 23.08.165.
Zoning Clearance, Business License, and TOT Registration Required
Some RestrictionsSan Luis Obispo County Coastal Vacation Rental Zoning Clearance (per CZLUO Sec. 23.08.165)
A vacation rental is not allowed in an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), Guesthouse, or Agricultural Worker Housing.
Noise Rules
Vacation rentals in San Luis Obispo County's Adelaida/Willow Creek Area answer to a specific noise trigger, not just the county's general noise ordinance. Sec. 22.30.510(b)(x) bars renters from creating noise "audible from a distance of 50 feet from the property lines of the rental property," on top of complying with the countywide Noise Standards.
Adelaida Vacation Rentals: Noise Audible at 50 Feet
Some RestrictionsSan Luis Obispo County Code Sec. 22.30.510(b)(x)
Noise. All residential vacation rentals shall comply with the standards of Section 22.10.120 et seq. (Noise Standards). No residential vacation rental is to involve on-site use of equipment requiring more than standard household electrical current at 110 or 220 volts or that produces noise, dust, odor or vibration detrimental to occupants of adjoining dwellings. In addition, property owners and...
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
San Luis Obispo County bars vacation-rental guests in the Adelaida/Willow Creek Area from parking on the street at any time. Sec. 22.30.510(b)(ix) requires all parking tied to the rental to stay entirely on-site, in the garage, driveway, or otherwise off the roadway.
Adelaida STR Guests Must Park On-Site Only
Some RestrictionsSan Luis Obispo County Code Sec. 22.30.510(b)(ix)
On-site parking required. All parking associated with a residential vacation rental shall be entirely on-site, in the garage, driveway or otherwise out of the roadway, in accordance with subsection b.iv, above. Tenants of residential vacation rentals shall not use on-street parking at any time.
Occupancy Limits
In the Coastal Zone, no residence may host more than four individual tenancies per calendar month, and a new vacation rental cannot be located within 200 linear feet of an existing one on the same or opposite side of the street. The inland ordinance (Sec. 22.30.510) limits rental to one individual tenancy per seven calendar days.
Four Tenancies/Month Cap and 200-Foot Separation (Coastal)
Some RestrictionsSan Luis Obispo County Code Sec. 23.08.165 (Coastal Zone Residential Vacation Rentals)
Rental of a residence shall not exceed four individual tenancies per calendar month. No residential vacation rental shall be located within 200 linear feet of a parcel on the same side of the street as the vacation rental and 200 linear feet of the parcel on the opposite side of the street.
Host Presence Rule
In the Adelaida/Willow Creek Area, San Luis Obispo County requires every residential vacation rental to name a local contact person reachable around the clock. Sec. 22.30.510(b)(xi) requires the property manager to "be available 24 hours a day to respond to tenant and neighborhood questions or concerns," and lets a resident owner serve in that role.
Adelaida STRs Need a 24-Hour Local Contact
Some RestrictionsSan Luis Obispo County Code Sec. 22.30.510(b)(xi)
Local contact person. All residential vacation rentals shall designate a local property manager. The local property manager shall be available 24 hours a day to respond to tenant and neighborhood questions or concerns. Where a property owner lives in the Adelaida sub-area, the property owner may designate themselves as the local contact person. All the requirements enumerated in this section sh...
Repeat Violator Strikes
San Luis Obispo County runs a three-strikes rule for vacation rentals in the Adelaida/Willow Creek Area. Sec. 22.30.510(b)(xvi) makes three verified violations of the section's tenancy, noise, parking, occupancy, or contact-person standards within any consecutive six-month period independent grounds for revoking the rental's Zoning Clearance, on top of Chapter 22.74 fines.
Three Strikes Revokes Adelaida Vacation Rentals
Significant RestrictionsSan Luis Obispo County Code Sec. 22.30.510(b)(xvi)
Three verified violations of this subsection, as determined by a County Planning and Building staff person, within any consecutive six month period, shall also be grounds for revocation of the Zoning Clearance. Signed affidavits by members of the community may be used to verify violations. Revocation of the Zoning Clearance shall follow the same procedure used for land use permit revocation as ...
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