Lodi, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

As of the most recent Incremental Code Update, Lodi regulates short-term stays primarily through three mechanisms rather than through a dedicated STR chapter with occupancy formulas. First, hosts obtain a home occupation permit (the city has identified the permit fee at roughly $100 in past staff and council discussions) and remit the city's 6% transient occupancy tax under the Lodi Municipal Code's TOT chapter. Second, only Phase 3 of the code update (adopted October 2025) added a definition of "short-term rental" to LMC 17.78.020, alongside other new defined terms; this established the term in the code but did not create per-property guest caps tied to bedroom count or square footage of the kind seen in cities such as San Diego or Sonoma County. Third, the underlying residential zoning controls in LMC Title 17 still apply to dwellings used for STRs, including density, parking, and use limitations of the residential district, and California Government Code section 65852.2 governs ADUs (which cannot be used for stays of less than 30 days under state law unless a city chooses to allow it). Because Lodi reported 79 registered short-term rentals out of roughly 27,000 housing units in early 2024 (about 0.3 percent of the housing stock), the city council elected at that time not to adopt a stand-alone STR ordinance with cap-style occupancy limits. Operators should still observe California Building Code occupant load standards for the dwelling and any HOA or CC&R restrictions, and should confirm whether their San Joaquin County health permit or business license obligations apply to their specific operation.