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

Unincorporated Trinity County does not have a standalone short-term rental ordinance fixing a maximum number of overnight guests per dwelling. Instead, occupancy is constrained by the generally applicable rules that apply to any dwelling: building and housing code limits tied to room and unit size, Environmental Health requirements for on-site septic and water systems (significant in the rural Trinity Lake and Trinity River areas where most rentals are on wells and septic), and fire and life-safety standards. Where a short-term vacation rental requires a Director's Use Permit under the zoning code, the County may impose case-specific conditions, which can include limits on guests, vehicles, or events for that particular property. The April 2026 Public Review Draft zoning code addresses guest counts mainly through use-specific standards and the permit application (which asks for the anticipated number of guests and vehicles) rather than a blanket numeric cap. Because no fixed countywide occupancy number is published in the code, operators should treat septic capacity and any permit conditions as the binding constraints and confirm allowable occupancy with the Planning and Environmental Health departments.