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

Off-street parking has driven much of the County's short-term-rental debate, particularly around Lake Tulloch and in mountain communities like Arnold and Murphys where older cabins often lack driveways. In the four regulated Lake Tulloch subdivisions, short-term vacation rentals are subject to Code Title 20, Chapter 20.20, which includes parking-related standards (confirm the exact current figures in the adopted chapter). When the Planning Commission first developed Lake Tulloch rules, a proposal called for a set number of off-street spaces per dwelling, which commissioners themselves described as a real problem because many lakeside cabins could not meet it. In the later countywide draft Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance reviewed in 2025, the County leaned on available on-site parking as the practical limit on the number of guests: the draft effectively capped non-resident guests by how many vehicles could park on the property rather than by a fixed headcount. Public commenters criticized this from both directions, noting it could exclude many affordable rentals that lack off-street parking while allowing very large groups on big agricultural parcels with ample room to park. Because the countywide ordinance had not been adopted as of mid-2025, the on-site-parking-based standard was a proposal outside Lake Tulloch. Operators should confirm the adopted off-street parking requirement for their community with Calaveras County Planning before listing, and Lake Tulloch hosts should verify the current Chapter 20.20 parking standard.