Santa Rosa, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Principal Residence defined
- Reside there over half the year
- Hosted STR tied to
- Owner's principal-residence parcel
- Proof required
- Sworn affidavit at application
- False affidavit
- Grounds for denial/revocation
- Non-Hosted alternative
- Capped, closed to new applicants
Summary
A Santa Rosa Hosted Short-Term Rental has to sit on the parcel the owner actually lives on. City Code Section 20-48.030 defines "Principal Residence" as the place where one resides for more than one-half of the year, and ties Hosted status to a parcel that is the Owner's principal residence as defined in that section.
Principal Residence.The place where one resides for more than one-half of the year. ... Hosted Short-Term Rental Application Affidavit. All applications for a Hosted Short-Term Rental Permit shall require the submittal of an affidavit documenting that the Host lives and sleeps in the Dwelling Unit or lives and sleeps in another legal Dwelling Unit on the same parcel, one of which is which parcel is the Owner's principal residence as defined herein, throughout the Short-Term Rental period, as defined in Section 20-48.030.
Full Breakdown
" That definition is not decorative, it is the anchor for Hosted Short-Term Rental eligibility. The Hosted Short-Term Rental definition in the same section requires that the parcel where the Host lives and sleeps, whether in the rented Dwelling Unit itself or in another legal Dwelling Unit on that same parcel, be the Owner's principal residence. 030, on top of the affidavit's separate attestation that the Host actually lives and sleeps there. Because a Non-Hosted Short-Term Rental has no such tie to the owner's residency, an owner who wants to rent out a second home or an investment property that is not where they spend most of the year cannot register it as a Hosted rental; it can only qualify, if at all, for the far more restricted Non-Hosted permit category, which is capped citywide and closed to new applicants entirely.
Violations & Fines
An affidavit that falsely claims a parcel is the Owner's principal residence, when the owner in fact lives elsewhere more than half the year, is a material misrepresentation on a Short-Term Rental Permit application under Section 20-48.040(I)(1), grounds for denial, and grounds for revocation once discovered. A revoked Short-Term Rental Permit makes the owner permanently ineligible for any future Short-Term Rental Permit on that same property under Section 20-48.080(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Santa Rosa short-term rental have to be the owner's primary home?
How does Santa Rosa verify a rental is the owner's principal residence?
What if I lied about my property being my main home to get a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Rosa
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