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

There is no STR parking rule in the City of Merced because no short-term-rental ordinance has been adopted. Off-street parking for residential uses is governed by the city's general parking standards in Chapter 20.38 (Parking and Loading), which set required spaces based on land use rather than on short-term renting. A short-term rental operating in an ordinary house is treated, for parking purposes, like the underlying residential use unless the city determines a different use category applies. The one transient-lodging parking ratio that appears explicitly in the code is for a bed and breakfast: under Chapter 20.38 the requirement is one space per bedroom, plus two spaces for the owner, plus one space for each employee on the largest shift, and Section 20.44.030 confirms a bed and breakfast must provide off-street parking in accordance with Chapter 20.38. That ratio applies to the permitted bed and breakfast use, which requires a conditional use permit, not to a self-managed short-term rental. By contrast, the unincorporated Merced County STR program requires designated off-street parking (generally one space per unit); that is a county requirement and does not apply within the City of Merced. Hosts should follow the general residential parking standards and confirm with the city's planning division.