Unincorporated Kern County has no published numeric occupancy cap specific to short-term rentals; STRs operate under general residential zoning in Title 19 and California Building Code occupancy standards adopted through Title 17. Operators must still register and remit 6% TOT under Chapter 4.16. Confirm any per-bedroom cap with Kern County Planning before listing.
Kern County has not adopted a published unincorporated ordinance setting numeric guest counts (such as 2 per bedroom + 2) for short-term rentals. STRs are treated as residential dwelling occupancy and follow Title 19 (Zoning) standards for the underlying district plus the California Building Code adopted through Title 17 of the Kern County Code, which controls life-safety occupancy. Kern County's Board of Supervisors directed staff in early 2020 to develop a permitting program for STRs in Alta Sierra (west of Lake Isabella) and the Tehachapi area, but as of this writing no county-wide STR cap is published in Title 19. Operators must still hold a TOT certificate under Chapter 4.16 and comply with Chapter 8.36 noise rules, Title 7 animal rules, and any HOA or CC&R restrictions. Confirm whether your specific zone or community has special STR limits with Kern County Planning at (661) 862-8600.
An STR that creates an over-occupancy life-safety issue under the California Building Code or that becomes a noise or nuisance under Chapter 8.36 can be cited even without a numeric guest cap. Operating without a Chapter 4.16 TOT certificate is separately enforceable.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Kern County.
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