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

Some California jurisdictions require STR operators to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance, often $500,000 or $1,000,000, as a permit condition. Research found no such requirement in unincorporated Lassen County, because the county has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance, and therefore has no permit conditions to attach insurance to. There is no required coverage amount, no requirement to name the county as additional insured, and no proof-of-insurance filing for vacation rentals. This does not mean insurance is unimportant: a standard homeowner's policy often excludes or limits commercial short-term rental activity, so operators commonly need a short-term rental endorsement, a landlord or commercial policy, or coverage offered through a booking platform. In a rural high-desert county where wildfire risk is a serious concern, owners should also confirm that their property and liability coverage remains valid and adequate when the home is used as a rental. But all of this is governed by the owner's insurer and by California insurance law, not by a Lassen County ordinance. Operators should focus county compliance on the parcel's Title 18 zoning and Transient Occupancy Tax registration, and treat insurance as a private risk-management decision. No insurance section number is cited because the county code contains no STR insurance requirement.