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

Neither County Code Chapter 150 (Hotel/Motel Surcharge) nor the Zoning Code (Chapter 1500) sets a maximum number of guests, a persons-per-bedroom limit, or a total-occupancy cap specific to short-term rentals in the unincorporated area. The Chapter 150 definitions address only what counts as taxable transient occupancy (30 days or less); they do not limit headcount. Article 27 of the Zoning Code does not define 'short-term rental' or 'transient lodging,' so there is no STR-tailored density standard. In the absence of a local cap, occupancy is constrained by generally applicable law: the California Building Standards Code and the Uniform Housing Code limits on occupants relative to habitable room area, California Health & Safety Code overcrowding standards, and the septic/onsite-wastewater capacity that Sutter County Environmental Health enforces for properties on septic systems. Any guest count that creates a public nuisance can also be addressed under the county's general nuisance and code-enforcement authority. Operators should confirm allowable occupancy through Building Services and Environmental Health rather than relying on a county STR occupancy formula, which does not exist.