Twain Harte, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Some California cities restrict short-term rentals to a host's primary residence to discourage investor-owned whole-home rentals. Tuolumne County's adopted short-term rental framework does not take that approach. Ordinance Code Chapter 8.70 conditions operation on a Fire and Life Safety Inspection, and Ordinance Code Chapter 3.32 conditions it on collecting and remitting the 12% Transient Occupancy Tax, but neither requires the operator to live in the dwelling or to use it as a primary residence. The County's program is built around a designated local contact person or property manager precisely because many operators are not on-site, and the documented presence of more than 1,100 certified short-term rentals across rural communities like Groveland, Pine Mountain Lake, Twain Harte, and Pinecrest reflects a market dominated by second homes and dedicated vacation rentals rather than owner-occupied rooms. Operators should be aware that this is a County-level position: private homeowners associations within the unincorporated area can impose their own restrictions, including limits on the number of permits or on rental of non-primary homes, so the absence of a County primary-residence rule does not guarantee that an HOA will allow unrestricted whole-home rental.