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

There is no short-term-rental ordinance in unincorporated Yuba County, so the county code contains no STR-specific maximum-occupancy formula such as 'two persons per bedroom.' In the absence of an STR rule, the practical limits on how many guests a rental can hold come from generally applicable standards: the building code occupancy capacity of the dwelling, the capacity of the on-site septic system in rural foothill parcels near Bullards Bar and Collins Lake, and the underlying zoning. The county zoning framework defines 'family' as an individual or two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption, or a group of not more than five unrelated persons living together in a dwelling unit; this definition governs residential occupancy generally rather than transient rentals. Because no STR ordinance sets a nightly guest cap, hosts should size their listing to the home's legal bedroom count, septic capacity, and any conditions on the parcel. Operators wanting certainty on a specific property should confirm capacity with the Planning and Building departments, especially for older foothill cabins with limited septic or water systems.