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

The county zoning code's definition at Section 8102-0 stacks conditions that must all be met before a rental counts as a homeshare rather than a short-term rental. Ownership: the host must possess at least a twenty (20) percent ownership interest in the subject parcel, so a tenant, or a co-owner holding less than that share, cannot qualify the property. Residence: the dwelling must be that owner's primary residence, which rules out second homes and pure investment properties. Presence: any portion of the dwelling may be rented for a period of less than thirty (30) consecutive days only when the owner is physically present in the same dwelling.

This presence requirement is what separates a homeshare from a whole-home vacation rental; an owner who leaves while guests stay is no longer operating a homeshare, even in their own primary residence. Meals: the definition requires that no meals or food be provided to the renter or renters, which walls homeshares off from bed-and-breakfast style operations. A whole-home rental with the owner absent falls instead under the county's separate short-term rental rules, which are far more restricted in the TRU Overlay Zone. 3(a)(8), listings must state that the unit is owner-occupied and that the owner will be present during the rental.