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

Monterey County's Vacation Rental Ordinances are codified across multiple sections: Inland Title 21 (zoning), Coastal Title 20 (zoning), and MCC Title 7 (operational standards for both). The Board of Supervisors adopted the inland ordinance in 2024 (effective October 14, 2024) and the coastal ordinance in September 2025 (effective October 24, 2025, after California Coastal Commission certification on August 13, 2025). All three permit categories require a Vacation Rental Operator's Permit from Housing and Community Development plus registration with the Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector for Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) collection. Homestays (rental of a room or unit while the owner is on-site) are allowed countywide with no cap. Limited Vacation Rentals (LVRs) allow rental of the entire unhosted property up to 3 times per calendar year, with each rental lasting up to 30 days, and are allowed countywide with no cap. Commercial Vacation Rentals (CVRs) - any unhosted rental beyond the LVR threshold - are capped at 4% of housing units in each planning area and are prohibited in Big Sur, Carmel Highlands, Moss Landing residential zones, and Carmel Valley residential zones. Operational standards under Title 7 require: 24/7 local responsible-person contact, occupancy limits (typically 2 per bedroom plus 2), parking on-site, posted noise rules, and prohibition on weddings/large events without separate permit. Existing rentals had a transition period to come into compliance.