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

Placer County's STR ordinance does not require the owner or host to be present during a guest's stay, but it imposes a strict local-contact requirement in place of host presence. Under Article 9.42, every permitted short-term rental must designate a local contact person who is personally available by telephone on a 24-hour basis and able to be physically present at the short-term rental within 60 minutes of being contacted by code compliance, the Placer County Sheriff, or a guest. The county program further specifies that the local contact must live within 35 driving miles of the rental and have the authority to manage the property and resolve problems. This local contact is the front line of enforcement: for certain operational-standards violations (the ordinance lists specific subsections of Section 9.42.080, such as parking, occupancy, and noise items), the code official first attempts to notify the local contact, who must then cure the violation within one hour. The contact's information must be kept current with the county and is collected at application and renewal. The combination of 24/7 availability, the 35-mile residency rule, and the 60-minute response standard is designed to ensure a responsible party can quickly address nuisance complaints even when the owner lives out of the area.