Modoc County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

California counties that license short-term rentals sometimes require proof of commercial or homeowner liability insurance at a set minimum as a permit condition. Unincorporated Modoc County imposes no such requirement because it has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance and issues no STR permit to which an insurance condition could attach. There is no county-mandated liability minimum, no requirement to name the county as an additional insured, and no proof-of-coverage filing for vacation rentals. The only situation in which the county could attach an insurance-related condition would be if a specific use required a discretionary Use Permit under Chapter 18.128, where the Planning Commission may impose conditions and assurances to protect public health, safety, and welfare; absent such a permit, no insurance standard applies. In practice, hosts' insurance obligations come from their own homeowner or landlord policy, any short-term-rental endorsement they choose to buy, and the host-protection or liability programs offered by booking platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. Hosts should confirm that their personal policy covers commercial short-term rental activity, since standard homeowner policies often exclude it, even though the county does not require coverage.