Unincorporated Nevada County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals: hosts may rent rooms, primary residences, or non-primary homes short-term, subject only to TOT registration and the residential building permit requirement.
Nevada County's official Short-Term Rental FAQ confirms the County does not restrict renting out rooms within private residences or renting out primary residences on a short-term basis, and no county ordinance limits short-term rentals to a host's primary residence or caps the number of listings a host may operate in the unincorporated area. Second homes and investment properties may therefore be rented short-term, provided the structure is permitted for residential use through the Building Department and the operator holds a TOT Annual Registration Certificate under Nevada County General Code Sec. 5.04.060. The main carve-outs are structure-based rather than residency-based: deed-restricted ADUs (permitted after April 25, 2019), residential guest quarters, and RVs or tiny homes on wheels cannot be rented short-term. Hosts in incorporated Truckee, Grass Valley, or Nevada City face separate municipal rules.
There is no county penalty tied to non-primary-residence hosting because no such restriction exists. Standard TOT enforcement applies to all hosts: misdemeanor for failure to register (Sec. 5.04.060(B), 5.04.150) and escalating penalties, interest, and liens for unremitted tax (Secs. 5.04.080, 5.04.140).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Nevada County, CA
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