11 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Sonoma County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Whole-house vacation rentals in unincorporated Sonoma County require a zoning permit under County Code Sec. 26-88-120, issued by Permit Sonoma. Rentals that meet all standards qualify for a zoning permit; those that do not need a use permit. The permit runs with the owner and expires on sale or transfer.
Sonoma County Code § 26-88-120(c)–(f)
(c) Permits Required. Vacation rentals that meet the standards outlined in this section shall be allowed as provided by the underlying zone, subject to issuance of a zoning permit. Vacation rentals that do not meet the standards in this section may be permitted, subject to the granting of a use permit. (d) Term of Permit. Zoning permits shall run with the landowner and shall automatically expir...
Sec. 26-88-120(f) sets quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and applies General Plan noise standards (for example, an L50 limit of 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA during quiet hours). Outdoor amplified sound is banned at all times. Standards drop 5 dBA for speech, music, or barking.
Sonoma County Code § 26-88-120(f)(1)–(2)
(f) Performance Standards. 1. Noise Limits. All activities associated with the vacation rental shall meet the general plan noise standards contained below. Quiet hours shall be from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The property owner shall ensure that the quiet hours and limits on outdoor activities are included in rental agreements and in all online advertisements and listings. Hourly Noise Metric, dBA...
Unincorporated Sonoma County levies a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax on vacation rental rent, authorized under County Code Chapter 12, Article III. Large lodging operators also pay a 2% Business Improvement Area assessment (Chapter 33). The Board may adopt an annual monitoring-and-enforcement fee under Sec. 26-88-120(h).
Sonoma County Code § 26-88-120(f)(7); Sonoma County TOT (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 7280)
(f) Performance Standards. 7. Transient Occupancy Tax. The vacation rental owner or authorized agent shall maintain a transient occupancy tax certificate and remain current on all required reports and payments. Owner or authorized agent shall include the certificate number on all contracts or rental agreements, and in any advertising or websites. — Sonoma County levies a Transient Occupancy Tax...
Sec. 26-88-120(e)(5) requires one on-site space for rentals up to two guestrooms, two spaces for three or four guestrooms, and at least three spaces for larger rentals. One required space may be on-street. The number of guest vehicles cannot exceed one per bedroom and must be stated in listings.
Sonoma County Code Sec. 26-88-120(e)(5) (recodified as Sec. 26-28-160)
Parking. Parking shall be provided as follows: a minimum of one (1) on-site parking space for a vacation rental with up to two (2) guestrooms or sleeping rooms; two (2) on-site parking spaces for a three (3) or four (4) guestroom vacation rental. Larger vacation rentals must demonstrate adequate parking with a minimum of three (3) spaces. On-street parking may be considered for up to one (1) of...
Sec. 26-88-120(e) caps overnight occupancy at two persons per sleeping room plus two more per property, to a maximum of 12 (children under three excluded). Total daytime guests and visitors may not exceed overnight occupancy plus six, or 18, whichever is less. Rentals may have no more than five guestrooms.
Sonoma County Code § 26-88-120(e)(2)–(3)
(e) Permit Requirements. 2. Maximum Overnight Occupancy. Maximum overnight occupancy for vacation rentals shall be up to a maximum of two (2) persons per sleeping room or guestroom, plus two (2) additional persons per property, up to a maximum of twelve (12) persons, excluding children under three (3) years of age. Vacation rentals with larger overnight occupancies may only be allowed subject t...
Sec. 26-88-120 does not impose a specific liability-insurance minimum for vacation rentals. Permit Sonoma's application instead requires a signed Indemnification Agreement (Form PJR-011). Operators are responsible for their own coverage, and platforms or lenders may require liability insurance separately.
Sec. 26-88-120 does not set an annual cap on the number of nights a permitted vacation rental may operate; a vacation rental is simply any rental of 30 days or less. Instead, the County controls supply through density 'cap zones' (5% or 10% of single-family homes) and X Exclusion Combining Districts.
Beyond the zoning permit, operators must obtain a separate vacation rental license under County Code Chapter 4, Article VIII, register for a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate, and maintain a certified property manager. Permits are posted on-site and neighbors within 300 feet receive mailed notice of issuance.
Sonoma County Code § 26-88-120 & Ch. 4, Art. VIII (Ord. 6427)
Operating a vacation rental in unincorporated Sonoma County requires completing four steps before guests can be hosted: (1) Certified Property Manager — A property manager who is certified by Sonoma County is required for all vacation rental properties; applicants must successfully complete a training course and achieve a qualifying score on a county-administered certification test, and the man...
Whole-house vacation rentals do not require an on-site host, but Sec. 26-88-120(f)(8) requires a certified 24-hour property manager available 24/7 during rentals and located within 30 miles. By contrast, owner-occupied 'hosted rentals' under Sec. 26-88-118 require the primary owner to reside on the property.
Sonoma County Code Sec. 26-88-120(b) (recodified as Sec. 26-28-160)
The provisions of the section shall apply to all vacation rentals except where there is a primary owner in residence. This section does not apply to legally established hosted rentals or bed and breakfast inns, which are regulated by Section 26-88-118. As used in this section, "primary owner" does not include residences or condominiums owned as a timeshare, limited liability partnership or corp...
Sonoma County does NOT require vacation rentals to be a primary residence. Sec. 26-88-120 applies precisely to whole-house rentals where there is no primary owner in residence. Owner-occupied 'hosted rentals' are instead governed by Sec. 26-88-118, and a primary owner in residence is exempt from the vacation rental rules.
Repeat vacation rental violations in unincorporated Sonoma County trigger an escalating enforcement ladder, from a warning letter to suspensions of one to six months and license revocation for up to five years for chronic non-compliance.
Permit Sonoma Policy 7-0-26; Sonoma County Code Secs. 4-208, 4-209
Upon issuance of the first notice of violation of Vacation Rental regulations, the licensee and certified property manager will receive a warning letter regarding the potential for suspension or revocation if additional violations are confirmed. If a second violation occurs within 12 months of the first, the Vacation Rental license and/or property manager certification may be temporarily suspen...
4 cities in Sonoma County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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