Lake County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Some California jurisdictions limit unhosted short-term rentals to a set number of rented nights per year. Unincorporated Lake County has adopted no such annual night cap, because it has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance. A vacation rental in the unincorporated area is not limited to a maximum number of booked nights per calendar year by any County rule. Two related but different concepts appear in the County code. First, the Transient Occupancy Tax article defines a "transient" in Section 18-11(d) as a person occupying lodging "for a period of thirty (30) consecutive calendar days or less" - this sets the boundary of which individual stays are taxable, not an annual operating cap. Second, the Bed and Breakfast Inn standard in Section 21-27.13(b) provides that "the maximum stay for guests shall not exceed fourteen (14) consecutive days," a per-guest stay-length limit for that specific use type rather than an annual ceiling on the property. For an ordinary whole-house vacation rental, neither provision caps the number of nights per year. Owners around Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Cobb, and Hidden Valley Lake should nonetheless verify current policy with Lake County Community Development, since the County could adopt night limits if it pursues a future STR ordinance.