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

Sonoma County does not require a host to sleep on-site at a whole-house vacation rental, but it imposes a strict manager-availability standard in lieu of host presence. Under Sec. 26-88-120(f)(8), every vacation rental must have a certified property manager available 24 hours a day, seven days a week during all times the property is rented. The manager may be a professional manager, realtor, the owner, or another designated person who has completed a county training course and passed a county certification test; certification is granted and may be revoked by the County. Certified managers must be located within a 30-mile radius of the vacation rental and available to respond at all times during the rental. Under the enforcement provisions in Sec. 26-88-120(g)(1), upon a complaint the manager must contact the tenant to correct the problem within 60 minutes, or within 30 minutes during quiet hours, visiting the site if necessary, and must report the complaint and resolution to Permit Sonoma within 24 hours. A vacation rental may not operate without a current certified property manager. The separate hosted-rental use under Sec. 26-88-118 is the path for owner-on-site operation, where the primary owner must reside in the property.