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

Sacramento County's short-term rental ordinance for unincorporated areas does not impose a strict on-site host-presence rule requiring the owner to sleep in the home during every guest stay. Instead, the County ties short-term rentals to owner occupancy in a different way: the property must be the operator's (or a long-term renter's) primary residence, occupied at least six months out of the year, and the short-term rental must remain an accessory use subordinate to that full-time occupancy. Because the home must be a primary residence and only one permit is allowed per applicant, the County's framework effectively prevents fully absentee, multi-property STR operations even though it does not mandate that the host be present for each individual booking. To ensure someone responsible can respond at all times, the County requires a Local Contact Person who is personally available by telephone on a 24-hour basis, who maintains the ability to be on-site within 60 minutes, and who has the access and authority to assume management of the unit. This Local Contact Person can be the owner or a designated agent, and serves the role of a responsible party that some other jurisdictions fill with an on-site host requirement. Operators must document this contact in the permit application and reinforce guest expectations through the required information flyer posted in the unit. The combination of the primary-residence requirement, the single-permit limit, and the 24-hour Local Contact Person reflects the County's intent to keep short-term rental an accessory, responsibly managed use rather than a remotely operated commercial lodging business.