Butte County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Two-Rental Cap
- Max 2 STRs per parcel
- Host Requirement
- 1 of 2 must be a hosted stay
- Hosted Stay Defined
- Resident on-site except daytime/work hours
- Williamson Act Parcels
- All STRs must be hosted stays
- Governing Section
- § 24-172.1 G.2
Summary
When a Butte County parcel hosts two short-term rentals, such as a primary residence plus an approved accessory dwelling unit, Section 24-172.1 G.2 requires at least one of them to operate as a hosted stay, meaning a resident stays on-site except during daytime or work hours. Williamson Act contract parcels face a stricter version: every short-term rental on that land must be a hosted stay.
2.No more than two (2) short-term rentals may be permitted on the same parcel (e.g., a primary residence and an approved accessory dwelling unit), and one (1) of the short-term rentals must be operated as a hosted stay.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
2 of the Butte County short-term rental ordinance caps the number of short-term rentals on a single parcel at two, giving the example of a primary residence paired with an approved accessory dwelling unit, and requires that one of the two be operated as a hosted stay. 5 defines the alternative, an un-hosted stay, as a primary residence where the resident stays off-site during the rental. 4, meaning un-hosted Williamson Act rentals are not permitted at all. b. 1 requires the permit to identify each unit permitted as a short-term rental on the parcel.
Violations & Fines
Operating both short-term rentals on a parcel as un-hosted stays, when Section 24-172.1 G.2 requires one to be hosted, is a violation of the administrative permit and can draw a citation under Section 24-5F and Chapter 41. On a Williamson Act contract parcel, any un-hosted short-term rental violates Subsection G.3.b outright. Verified violations count as strikes toward the two-strikes renewal denial under Subsection F.1 and the three-strikes revocation rule under Subsection J.1.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I have two short-term rentals on one parcel in Butte County, do both need a host on-site?
What counts as a hosted stay under Butte County's short-term rental rules?
Do Williamson Act properties in Butte County have different host-presence rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
California rules heatmap·Compare Butte County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.