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

Lake County's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21) governs land use in the unincorporated areas around Clear Lake, including wine-country communities such as Kelseyville and Cobb and the Hidden Valley Lake subdivision. Article 27 of that ordinance lists every "special use" permitted in each zoning district in two tables - Table A (uses allowed with a zoning permit) and Table B (uses allowed with a minor or major use permit). Neither table contains a "vacation rental" or "short-term rental" category. The only transient-lodging uses the County recognizes are a Bed and Breakfast, allowed with a zoning permit under Section 21-27.3(c) and limited to no more than two guest rooms, and a Bed and Breakfast Inn, allowed with a minor or major use permit under Section 21-27.13(b) with three to eight guest rooms. Because the County has not adopted a dedicated whole-house vacation-rental permit program, a property owner renting a home to transients in unincorporated Lake County operates within this older framework. Separately, anyone renting lodging to transients must register with the Tax Collector and collect Transient Occupancy Tax under Lake County Code Chapter 18, Article II. As of 2025, the Tax Collector has been using software to identify STR operators not paying TOT, but no comprehensive County STR land-use ordinance had been adopted. Owners should confirm current requirements with Lake County Community Development.