Santa Rosa, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Chapter 20-48 (Short-Term Rentals) and the City's published STR application materials at srcity.org/3643 do not impose a numeric minimum liability-insurance requirement on hosts. The City requires a permit, a Business Tax Certificate (as of January 2025), a floor plan showing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a site plan, principal-residence proof for Hosted permits, and a Transient Occupancy Tax account, but no dollar-denominated insurance threshold is fixed in code. Other Santa Rosa permit types do publish minimums (encroachment permits require $1,000,000 per occurrence under Section 13-04.070), and that figure is the common benchmark Sonoma County hosts target. California homeowner (HO-3) and renter policies generally exclude business or commercial use, including paid stays under 30 days; carriers can deny guest-injury or property-damage claims tied to an STR. Platform protections such as Airbnb AirCover (up to $1 million host liability) and VRBO Liability Insurance (up to $1 million) are supplemental and have exclusions, especially for gross negligence, intentional acts, and pollution. Lenders and HOAs commonly require a landlord (DP-3) or short-term rental endorsement. Hosted permits also require the owner to occupy the property as a principal residence, which can preserve homeowner coverage for the owner-occupied portion but does not authorize commercial use without a rider.