San Diego County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Parking per room
- One off-street space per bedroom rented
- Stacks on
- Required parking for single-family occupancy
- Maximum add-on
- Two spaces, since only two bedrooms allowed
- No employee add-on
- Unlike Bed and Breakfast parking under § 6156.aa
- Verified by
- Owner affidavit and Code Enforcement Officer inspection
Summary
A Host Home short-term rental in unincorporated San Diego County must provide one off-street parking space for every bedroom rented, on top of the parking already required for the single-family home itself, under Zoning Ordinance Section 6156.bb(1)(c) of the county's accessory-use rules for the two-bedroom lodging permit.
1. Criteria. An application for a host home permit shall meet all of the following criteria:
a) A maximum of two bedrooms may be made available for rent.
b) The owner or lessee of the property shall operate the facility and reside in the home or other legal residence on the property. If the owner or lessee resides in a residence separate from the facility, instructions on how to contact the owner/lessee after hours for emergencies shall be posted in each room.
c) One off-street parking space for each room rented shall be provided in addition to the parking required for single-family occupancy.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-141: Administrative: Current through Ord. No. 11007 (N.S.), effective 7-10-26 | Regulatory: Current through Ord. No. 11008 (N.S.), effective 7-24-26).
Full Breakdown
bb(1) lists the criteria a Host Home Administrative Permit must satisfy in unincorporated San Diego County, and clause c) sets the parking math: one off-street parking space for each room rented must be provided in addition to the parking required for single-family occupancy. Because clause a) caps a Host Home at two bedrooms available for rent, the added parking obligation tops out at two extra spaces beyond whatever the underlying single-family use already needs, since the county measures Host Home parking as a stack on top of, not a replacement for, standard residential parking.
bb, and the owner's signed affidavit under item 2 commits the property to maintaining the required spaces, since the Code Enforcement Officer can inspect the premises at any time to verify the conditions the affidavit was built on. aa, which requires a parking space for each rented room plus each employee; Host Home carries no employee-parking add-on, only the per-room figure, fitting its smaller two-bedroom ceiling. If the required spaces are not maintained, the shortfall bears on the neighborhood-character and traffic findings the Director must make under item 4 before granting or continuing the permit.
Violations & Fines
Section 6156.bb does not print a parking-specific fine; a shortfall is enforced as a permit-condition failure. The signed affidavit lets the Code Enforcement Officer inspect the property, and under item 4 the Director must find the Host Home won't be materially detrimental to the neighborhood, considering traffic generation and site suitability, before granting or renewing the Administrative Permit, so missing spaces can support a denial or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many parking spaces does a Host Home need in San Diego County?
Does the Host Home parking rule replace my driveway parking?
Is Host Home parking the same as the county's Bed and Breakfast rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego County
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