10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Solano County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Solano County does regulate short-term lodging (stays of 30 consecutive days or less) under Chapter 28 of the County Code. Hosted rentals need an Administrative Permit; non-hosted Vacation House Rentals need a Minor Use Permit, plus a business license, a TOT certificate, and proof of commercial insurance.
Solano County Code Sec. 28.75.30(A)(14)
A vacation rental house shall be permitted only in compliance with the requirements and standards of this section and all other requirements of the applicable zoning district, subject to the issuance of a land use permit. The permit shall be subject to periodic renewal every five years and shall expire upon sale or transfer of the property.
Unincorporated Solano County manages short-term rental noise through the VHR program's Good Neighbor materials and permit conditions, backed by the countywide noise provisions of the Solano County Code. The County publishes a VHR Good Neighbor flyer and a Statement of Rules and Regulations that operators must use, and noise complaints are a basis for enforcement.
Short-term lodging in unincorporated Solano County is subject to a 5% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent for stays of 30 days or less. Operators must hold a posted TOT registration certificate and remit quarterly. A County business license and a planning-permit application fee also apply.
Unincorporated Solano County reviews on-site parking as part of the Vacation House Rental permit, and the County's published FAQ confirms hosts are asked about providing on-site parking. There is no single countywide numeric space requirement published in the VHR program materials reviewed; parking is set through the discretionary permit and Chapter 28 standards.
Unincorporated Solano County caps overnight occupancy for a Vacation House Rental at two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests per property, up to a maximum of 10 guests, not counting children under three years of age. The limit is a published VHR program standard tied to the operating permit.
Solano County Code Sec. 28.75.30(A)(3)-(4)
Maximum Occupancy. Unless further restricted by other standards of this section, the maximum occupancy for a vacation house rental is up to two guests per bedroom, plus two additional guests per property, up to a maximum of 10 guests, not including children under three years of age. Parking. One on-site parking space for each bedroom ... must be provided and available for use by guests.
Unincorporated Solano County requires proof of commercial insurance as part of the Vacation House Rental operating-permit application. The County's apply-for-a-new-VHR-permit page lists 'proof of commercial insurance' among the items an operator must provide before the permit is issued.
Unincorporated Solano County does not publish an annual cap on the number of nights a Vacation House Rental may operate in its primary VHR program materials. VHRs are defined by stay length (30 days or less per booking) and governed by zoning, fire-zone, and permit conditions rather than a fixed yearly night limit.
Unincorporated Solano County requires every short-term lodging operator to register on two tracks: a planning/land-use permit (Administrative Permit for hosted rentals, Minor Use Permit for non-hosted VHRs) and a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate with the Treasurer-Tax Collector. A separate County business license is also required.
Unincorporated Solano County offers both hosted and non-hosted short-term rentals. A Hosted Rental offers a single guest room (Administrative Permit, LUR 28.72.40(B)(5)) and a Bed and Breakfast Inn or Agricultural Homestay is owner-occupied, while a Vacation House Rental is defined as transient occupancy without a resident family present - so on-site host presence is not required for a VHR.
Unincorporated Solano County does NOT limit short-term rentals to an owner's primary residence. The County expressly allows a non-hosted Vacation House Rental, defined as a dwelling used for transient occupancy without a resident family present - i.e., a whole-home rental of a property the owner does not live in - subject to a Minor Use Permit.
3 cities in Solano County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Solano County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Solano County Ordinance Hub →