Monterey County defines short-term rentals as stays of 30 days or fewer. Limited Vacation Rentals may be rented whole-house up to three times per year; Commercial Vacation Rentals (more than three times/year) are capped at about 4% of housing units per planning area.
Monterey County limits short-term rentals through both a stay-length definition and frequency caps rather than a simple annual night cap. The ordinance defines a short-term rental as the use of residential property for transient lodging for 30 days or fewer. The frequency of whole-house renting then determines the license category: a Limited Vacation Rental is a non-hosted whole-house rental that occurs no more than three times per year, while a Commercial Vacation Rental is a non-hosted rental that occurs more than three times per year. Owner-occupied Homestays are not subject to the three-times-per-year limit and may be hosted without a numeric frequency cap. The most significant quantitative limit is the area cap: Commercial Vacation Rentals are capped at approximately four percent of the housing units within each planning area of the unincorporated county (a 4% cap applied per inland planning area and in the coastal zone). Once a planning area reaches its 4% commercial cap, no new Commercial Vacation Rental licenses are issued there. Combined with outright commercial bans in Big Sur, the Carmel Highlands, and the residential zones of Carmel Valley and Moss Landing, these caps sharply limit how many whole-house commercial rentals can operate. Operators seeking to rent a whole house more than three times a year must obtain a Use Permit (inland) or Coastal Development Permit (coastal) and fit within the cap.
Renting a whole house more than three times per year without a Commercial Vacation Rental license and Use Permit/Coastal Development Permit, or operating after a planning area's 4% cap is reached, is a violation subject to fines and abatement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Monterey, CA
Persistent dog barking in the City of Monterey is enforced under the noise ordinance and animal provisions as a disturbance; chronic barking that disturbs ne...
Monterey, CA
Construction noise in the City of Monterey is limited to daytime hours under the noise ordinance — typically 7 a.m.–7 p.m. weekdays with reduced weekend hour...
Monterey, CA
The City of Monterey regulates noise through its municipal code, prohibiting loud and disturbing noise with stricter nighttime limits (generally 10 p.m.–7 a....
Monterey, CA
Driveway approaches in the City of Monterey require an encroachment permit and must meet city standards; vehicles generally must be parked on an approved pav...
Monterey, CA
RV, trailer and boat storage on residential lots in the City of Monterey is regulated by zoning, which restricts placement and prohibits living in a parked RV.
Monterey, CA
On-street parking in the City of Monterey is governed by the vehicle code, with extensive metered and time-limited zones downtown and near the wharf, plus 72...
See how Monterey's night caps rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.