Amador County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Host presence in unincorporated Amador County is governed through the zoning use permit rather than a dedicated short-term-rental ordinance. The County has not adopted an STR ordinance establishing an off-site on-call-manager model, so the operative requirements come from Code Chapter 19.48. For the detached-room-unit pathway - detached room units used as short-term lodging, capped at five units of up to 350 square feet each per parcel under a conditional use permit - the chapter requires that the owner or manager occupy the property in a primary or accessory dwelling unit. That is effectively an on-site host or resident-manager requirement for that route. The bed-and-breakfast pathway is likewise an owner- or manager-operated use in an existing dwelling, with the Planning Commission able to impose operating conditions on the permit. This makes Amador's codified approach closer to a hosted/resident-manager model than to absentee whole-home operation. Because these requirements flow from discretionary use permits, the precise expectation depends on which pathway is used and the conditions attached. For complaint response, the County relies on the resident owner or manager plus the Sheriff for nuisance and disturbance issues. Operators should confirm with Amador County Planning whether their intended operation requires on-site presence and, in all cases, maintain a reliable local contact reachable for guest emergencies, neighbor complaints, and bookings.