Unincorporated Solano County does NOT limit short-term rentals to an owner's primary residence. The County expressly allows a non-hosted Vacation House Rental, defined as a dwelling used for transient occupancy without a resident family present - i.e., a whole-home rental of a property the owner does not live in - subject to a Minor Use Permit.
There is no primary-residence-only rule for short-term rentals in unincorporated Solano County. The County's own definitions make this clear: a Vacation House Rental (VHR) is 'a dwelling that is offered or used for transient occupancy without a resident family present within the dwelling.' That is precisely a non-owner-occupied, whole-home short-term rental, and the County permits it through a Minor Use Permit rather than banning it. The County does maintain a separate hosted category - a Hosted Rental offering a single guest room (LUR 28.72.40(B)(5), Administrative Permit) - but operators are free to choose the non-hosted VHR path. The County's VHR FAQ even includes the question 'Are hosts required to be the owner of the short-term rental property?', signaling that ownership/occupancy is addressed in the program rather than imposed as a blanket primary-residence mandate. Practical limits come from zoning and fire-safety rules - for example, VHRs are not allowed in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and High FHSZ parcels must meet Section 28.75.30(A)(7)(b) - not from a residency requirement. Operators considering a second home or investment property as a VHR should confirm the property's zoning district allows the use and obtain the Minor Use Permit.
Because non-owner-occupied VHRs are allowed, the enforceable violation is operating without the required Minor Use Permit, business license, or TOT certificate - not non-residency itself.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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