Lassen County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

As of mid-2026, research of the Lassen County Code on its official codifier (eCode360) and the county website found no chapter creating a stand-alone short-term rental (STR) or vacation rental permit for unincorporated Lassen County. Susanville is the county's only incorporated city, so every other community, including Westwood, Herlong, Janesville, Bieber, and properties near Eagle Lake and the Lake Almanor area, falls under county jurisdiction. Without an STR ordinance, a short-term rental is not a separately permitted use; instead it is evaluated under the general zoning rules in Title 18 (Zoning), administered by Planning and Building Services. Whether renting a dwelling to transient guests is allowed by right, allowed with a use permit, or not allowed depends on the parcel's zoning district. The county does levy a Transient Occupancy Tax on lodging in unincorporated areas, so an operator typically must register with the Treasurer/Tax Collector to collect and remit that tax even though no land-use STR permit exists. Because the framework is general rather than STR-specific, an owner should confirm both the zoning classification of the parcel with Planning and Building Services and the TOT registration steps with the Treasurer/Tax Collector before advertising a rental. No STR permit fee or section number is published because no STR permit exists.