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

Santa Cruz County ties vacation rental parking to the size of the home. Under SCCC 13.10.694, the form rental agreement must state the number of vehicles a guest may park on-site and off-site, which shall not exceed the number of existing, required, or permitted parking spaces. The on-site parking requirement for new vacation rental permits is a minimum of one on-site space for one- and two-bedroom units and a minimum of two on-site spaces for three-or-more-bedroom units. Guests are allowed to park one additional vehicle off-site, using street parking in the vicinity of the rental, but they have no exclusive or assigned use of any available street parking. If off-site parking falls within a designated parking district, the vacation rental permit holder must purchase a parking permit at the business rate and is not eligible for residential parking permit allocations. Where the required on-site parking cannot be provided, an applicant may seek an on-site parking exception in conjunction with a Level V Vacation Rental Permit application, decided by the Zoning Administrator at a public hearing on a finding that nearby traffic and parking would not be adversely affected. Applicants must submit a plot plan showing dimensioned on-site parking spaces. These rules matter most in coastal neighborhoods like Live Oak and the Seacliff/Aptos/La Selva Beach area, where street parking is scarce.