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

Plumas County does not require a host or property manager to be present during a short-term rental stay in its unincorporated areas. With no STR ordinance in place, there is no mandate for a local contact, on-call manager, or on-site host for ordinary vacation rentals, so fully unhosted whole-home rentals, the norm at second-home and resort properties around Lake Almanor and Graeagle, are permitted. The single host-presence rule in the County code is tied to the bed and breakfast inn use. Sec. 9-2.213.5 defines a 'bed and breakfast inn' as a lodging facility where the owner or manager resides on the property, meals are served to inn guests only, on-site parking is screened from the street, and the use maintains the architectural integrity of the building and the character of the neighborhood. That on-site requirement is part of what distinguishes a B&B inn from an unhosted vacation rental; it does not extend to standard short-term rentals. Even though the County does not require a host, providing a responsive local contact is a sensible best practice, because the County's TOT compliance focus and the Sheriff's role in handling noise and nuisance complaints mean an unresponsive operator is more likely to generate problems that draw enforcement attention.