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

Some jurisdictions distinguish 'hosted' rentals (owner present) from 'unhosted' rentals and restrict the latter. Tehama County's published short-term rental program does not impose a host-presence requirement. The County's STR and TOT materials require an STR Permit and TOT collection but do not state that the owner or a host must occupy the property, live on-site, or be present during guest stays. As a result, unhosted, whole-home vacation rentals - typical of the rural cabins and second homes in unincorporated areas near Mineral, Mill Creek and Manton - appear permitted as long as the operator holds the STR Permit, complies with general zoning under Title 17, and remits the 8% TOT. While the County has not published an on-site host mandate, short-term rental programs commonly expect operators to designate a responsible local contact who can respond to problems; hosts should confirm whether the County attaches such a local-contact condition to the STR Permit. Because no host-presence rule could be verified in published County materials, this entry honestly reports the absence of one rather than asserting a requirement. Operators should still maintain a reliable way for guests, neighbors and the County to reach a responsible party, both as good practice and in case a local-contact condition applies to the permit.