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

Stockton Municipal Code §5.97.050 requires every permitted STR operator to maintain general liability insurance with a minimum limit of $500,000 per occurrence covering bodily injury and property damage arising from the rental operation, and to name the City of Stockton as additional insured. A current Certificate of Insurance must be uploaded to the Finance Department at initial permit application and each annual renewal. Lodi Municipal Code §9.22.050 recommends but does not mandate specific coverage; proof of insurance is required on request. Manteca and unincorporated San Joaquin County do not have STR-specific insurance mandates, but all operators collecting rent owe a common-law duty of care to guests. Standard ISO HO-3 homeowner policies generally exclude business use and commercial rental activity — operators should obtain an endorsement (HO-23 business endorsement) or a dedicated commercial STR policy from carriers like Proper Insurance or Slide Home-Sharing. Platform-provided protections (Airbnb AirCover up to $1M, VRBO Liability Insurance) are excess-only coverage and typically do not meet Stockton's additional-insured naming requirement. Loss of host status on a platform does not eliminate local-permit insurance obligations.