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

Some California jurisdictions distinguish between "hosted" stays, where the owner remains on-site, and "unhosted" whole-house rentals, and may require a 24-hour local contact for unhosted STRs. Unincorporated Lake County has not adopted any such rule, because it has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance. There is no County requirement that an owner or property manager be physically present during a guest's stay, and no County-mandated local-contact or responsible-party registration tied to short-term rentals. The County Zoning Ordinance's transient-lodging uses carry their own framing - a Bed and Breakfast is treated as accessory to a residence under Section 21-27.3(c) - but that is a land-use characterization rather than a guest-stay supervision requirement for vacation rentals. For an ordinary whole-house rental near Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Cobb, or Hidden Valley Lake, the County neither requires nor prohibits remote (unhosted) operation. That said, the operator remains responsible for ensuring TOT is collected and remitted under Chapter 18, Article II, and for ensuring guests do not create nuisances enforceable under the County's general authority. Because the County has been stepping up STR tax enforcement and could revisit STR regulation, owners should confirm whether any local-contact expectation has since been adopted by checking with Lake County Community Development.