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

Jurisdictions with STR ordinances frequently require a host or a designated local contact who can respond to problems within a set time. Unincorporated San Diego County has no such requirement because it has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance. There is no home-sharing mandate, no requirement that the host be on the premises, and no County-mandated emergency local contact tied to an STR permit (since no permit program exists). The County's enforceable STR-related obligations are tax-based: under County Regulatory Code Sec. 22.205, the operator must collect TOT, and under Sec. 22.206 must register and post a transient occupancy certificate. The registration identifies the operator and an address for notice, but the County does not require a separate 24/7 responder. As a practical matter, operators remain responsible for their guests' conduct, and the general Noise Ordinance (Sec. 36.404) and code-compliance rules apply whether or not anyone is on-site. Because the County has not enacted host-presence or local-contact requirements, statements that unincorporated STRs need an on-site host or designated 24-hour contact would be unsupported by County code. Some homeowners-association communities may impose private rules separately.