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

Rather than an on-site host or owner-occupancy requirement, Tuolumne County uses a local contact person model. Under the County's adopted short-term rental program (Ordinance Code Chapter 8.70 and the associated operating requirements), each rental must designate a local contact person, who may be the owner or a hired property management company, and post that person's name and a 24-hour telephone number near the front door, along with the emergency evacuation plan and TOT information. Program guidance describes this contact as someone who must be personally available by telephone on a twenty-four-hour basis and able to respond to issues, with operator-facing summaries indicating the contact should be reachable around the clock and able to get to the property promptly to handle problems. This structure deliberately allows absentee owners and out-of-area investors to operate, so long as they put a responsive, reachable point of contact in place. The County's emphasis is on response capability and safety, not on the host sleeping on-site. Whole-home rentals where the owner is not present are therefore the norm in the unincorporated area, subject to the inspection, tax, posting, and local-contact requirements, and subject to any additional rules a private homeowners association may impose.