Santa Cruz, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Santa Cruz County's two short-term rental categories take opposite approaches to host presence. A Hosted Rental, governed by SCCC 13.10.690, is defined as a short-term rental where a property owner or long-term resident acting as host occupies one legal bedroom in the dwelling while one to three other legal bedrooms are rented. The host is therefore physically present on site during the guest's stay, and the home must have at least two legal bedrooms. By contrast, a Non-Hosted (Vacation) Rental under SCCC 13.10.694 is the rental of an entire home where the owner/operator does not occupy the dwelling while it is rented; only the renter and guests use the unit. For these unhosted rentals, the County does not require an on-site host but does require a designated local property manager or contact person. The local property manager must respond to calls within 60 minutes, and failure to respond within that window is enumerated as a significant violation and a ground for permit revocation. The application must identify this contact, and the contact information, along with the permit number and house rules, must be posted and included in advertising. Where a property has more than one dwelling as part of a dwelling group, the owner or contact person may live in a dwelling that is not the one used as the vacation rental. This 60-minute response standard is the County's substitute for an on-site host in the non-hosted context.