Mendocino County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Parking Rules (2026)

Mendocino County's enacted short-term rental rules (Chapter 20.748 in the Town and the Division II coastal provisions) do not establish a separate, STR-specific parking-space requirement. Vacation rentals must instead comply with the parking required for the underlying single-family dwelling and any applicable Coastal Zone development standards. Where a rental constitutes 'development' in the Coastal Zone, the coastal development permit review can address parking and access. Emergency access is a recurring County concern: rural rental properties must ensure that emergency services can reach the site with adequate road width and turnouts. For the inland (Division I) ordinance under development, the Board of Supervisors in February 2026 leaned toward a Good Neighbor Policy approach: operators would give guests and neighbors information addressing 'noise, trash, parking, pets, emergency contacts, behavioral expectations, and how to file complaints,' rather than imposing a fixed number of off-street spaces. The draft did not specify a parking ratio. Because parking expectations can be set as conditions on a coastal development permit or in the forthcoming inland ordinance, operators should confirm requirements for their specific parcel with Planning and Building Services.