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

The City of Turlock does not set a short-term-rental-specific occupancy or guest limit, because there is no STR ordinance in the municipal code. Home-based business activity is instead controlled through the Home Occupation Permit framework in Turlock Municipal Code Section 9-5-210 and the general Zoning Regulations. A home occupation is defined in the code as a use conducted entirely within the dwelling by the inhabitants, that is clearly incidental and secondary to residential use and does not change the character of the home or adversely affect the residential neighborhood. Those HOP conditions, rather than a per-guest STR cap, are the operative limits. The City's separate zoning 'Hotel' definition applies only to commercial uses with six or more guest rooms and a common entrance, and hotels/motels are not permitted in residential zones, so a typical whole-home rental is treated as a residence rather than a commercial lodging house. Third-party AI 'Airbnb host guide' sites (such as bnbcalc and strprofitmap) state that Turlock 'imposes limits on the number of guests,' but no such STR guest cap appears in the city's actual code and that claim should be considered unverified. By comparison, neither unincorporated Stanislaus County nor California state law fixes a Turlock-specific STR occupancy number. Operators should confirm any applicable standards, including building and fire occupancy limits, with the Planning Division and Building Department.