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

Many California jurisdictions restrict short-term rentals to a host's primary residence, but unincorporated Modoc County has adopted no such rule because it has no short-term rental ordinance at all. Nothing in the county's published framework conditions short-term renting on owner occupancy, full-time residency, or a homestead designation. This is notable given the county's housing profile: the Modoc County Housing Element reports that roughly ten percent of the county's housing stock is used as a second or vacation home, far above the statewide figure of about two percent, reflecting a large share of seasonally occupied dwellings owned by non-residents. Despite that concentration of second homes, the county has not moved to require primary-residence operation of short-term rentals. Whether a non-owner-occupied home may be rented short-term turns instead on the underlying Title 18 zoning for the parcel and, where applicable, on whether the use needs a Use Permit under Chapter 18.128 - not on any owner-occupancy mandate. Hosts of second homes and investment properties are therefore not categorically barred by a county residency rule, but should confirm zoning compatibility with the Planning Department.