Calaveras County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Unincorporated Calaveras County's short-term-rental framework is built around tax registration and, in Lake Tulloch, land-use permitting - not around owner-occupancy. There is no countywide rule requiring that a short-term rental be the host's primary residence, and the County's draft countywide Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance reviewed in 2025 did not add a primary-residence-only requirement. On the contrary, the draft expressly contemplated whole-home, non-owner-occupied rentals: it stated that on-site resident managers are not required and that a unit may be managed by someone off-site but on call. The Board of Supervisors did, however, signal a preference about housing type rather than residency: it supported allowing short-term rentals in single-family homes while generally not allowing them in multifamily dwellings, with some discussion of small, individually owned multi-unit buildings. This reflects a tourism-driven market - Arnold, Murphys, Bear Valley, Copperopolis/Lake Tulloch and the Big Trees area - where many vacation rentals are second homes and investment cabins rather than primary residences. Because the countywide ordinance had not been adopted as of mid-2025, operators should confirm the final, adopted housing-type and occupancy rules with Calaveras County Planning. In the four Lake Tulloch subdivisions, review Chapter 20.20 for any conduct conditions, but those rules likewise focus on occupancy, parking and stay length rather than owner-occupancy.