Monterey County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Response time
- 30 minutes to the property
- Availability
- 24 hours a day while rented
- Governing section
- § 7.120.040(I)
- Who may serve
- Owner, manager, realtor, or resident
- First penalty
- Up to $1,000/day (§ 7.120.160(D))
Summary
Monterey County doesn't require the owner personally on site, but every vacation rental in the unincorporated area must have a property manager reachable around the clock. County Code § 7.120.040(I) requires a manager available 24 hours a day during any rental period, able to respond to complaints and arrive within 30 minutes.
I.All vacation rentals must have a property manager who is available twenty-four (24) hours per day, during all times that the property is rented as a vacation rental. The Property Manager must be able to respond to complaints and arrive at the site within thirty (30) minutes. The operator shall provide the name of the property manager and their contact information to the County prior to County issuance of the license and shall notify the County, in writing, of any change of property manager.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
020(J). 040(I) imposes a general property-manager-availability rule applying to every licensed vacation rental, hosted or not: all vacation rentals must have a property manager who is available twenty-four hours a day during all times the property is rented, and that manager must be able to respond to complaints and arrive at the site within thirty minutes. The operator must give the County the manager's name and contact information before the license issues, and must notify the County in writing whenever the manager changes. 020(J)'s homestay occupancy test can also serve as the manager for the 24-hour response duty. 040(L).
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep a reachable property manager, or failing to update the County when the manager changes, is a violation of Chapter 7.120 enforceable under § 7.120.160(B)-(D): a civil citation up to 175% of the daily rental rate (or $1,000/day) for a first offense, 275% (or $2,500/day) for a second, and 375% (or $5,000/day) for a third within a year, plus possible license revocation under § 7.120.130(A)(3) for operating in a manner that endangers public health, safety, or welfare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the owner have to live at a Monterey County vacation rental?
How fast must a Monterey County vacation rental manager respond to a complaint?
What happens if a vacation rental has no reachable manager?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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