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

Because Napa County Code Section 18.104.410 prohibits transient commercial occupancies of dwelling units outright in all residential and agricultural zoning districts, the County has not adopted occupancy, bedroom, vehicle, or annual-night caps the way most California counties have. The threshold is binary: any rental of a dwelling unit for a period shorter than thirty (30) consecutive days violates Section 18.104.410, irrespective of how many guests stay, how many bedrooms are rented, or whether the host is on-site. Section 18.08.260 reinforces this by defining a 'dwelling unit' itself in terms of occupancies of 'thirty days or longer.' Long-term rentals (30 days or more) in legally permitted dwelling units remain allowed and are not subject to STR-style guest caps; bed-and-breakfast, hotel, and motel uses must be separately permitted under Title 18 and follow the occupancy standards in those permits. Operators looking for posted maximums should instead refer to the city-specific ordinances for the five incorporated cities (Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville) if their parcel sits inside city limits.