Short-Term Rental Regulations
in Santa Cruz, CA

Short-term rentals are limited primarily to hosted/owner-occupied units where the owner resides at the property for more than six months per year; the City is not issuing new non-hosted or ADU STR permits, and properties with a single-family home plus ADU are not eligible. A cap of 250 owner-occupied/hosted STR permits exists (first-come, first-served); applicants must obtain a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate, meet on-site parking minimums (1 space for studio/1-bedroom, 2 spaces for 2+ bedrooms), provide site/floor plans and proof of principal residency, and enroll in the City’s Rental Inspection Service (RIS).

Yes, a permit is required to operate a short-term rental in Santa Cruz. 1) Start an online application at tot.cityofsantacruz.com/primeweb (select “Apply for TOT Certification”) or submit a paper application; pay the one-time non-refundable permit fee per the Planning Fee Schedule at submittal. 2) Upload required documents (site plan showing on-site parking, scaled floor plan identifying rented areas, exterior photo with address, and three proofs of principal residency for hosted STRs including the Santa Cruz County Assessor’s Homeowners Exemption and two additional documents). 3) After permit issuance, enroll in the City’s Rental Inspection Service (RIS) and pay the RIS fee annually; City staff review applications within 30 calendar days and may identify unpermitted work or life-safety issues for remediation.

1) Start an online application at tot.cityofsantacruz.com/primeweb (select “Apply for TOT Certification”) or submit a paper application; pay the one-time non-refundable permit fee per the Planning Fee Schedule at submittal. 2) Upload required documents (site plan showing on-site parking, scaled floor plan identifying rented areas, exterior photo with address, and three proofs of principal residency for hosted STRs including the Santa Cruz County Assessor’s Homeowners Exemption and two additional documents). 3) After permit issuance, enroll in the City’s Rental Inspection Service (RIS) and pay the RIS fee annually; City staff review applications within 30 calendar days and may identify unpermitted work or life-safety issues for remediation.

No. Santa Cruz is not issuing new non-hosted or ADU short-term rental permits. The only STR pathway available to new applicants is a hosted permit for owner-occupied properties where the host resides on-site more than six months per year.

No. Santa Cruz's non-hosted STR permits are non-transferable. When a permitted property sells, the permit expires. The new owner cannot assume the prior operator's permit and cannot apply for a new one under the current moratorium.

You must own and reside at the property as your primary residence for more than six months per year. The permit covers hosted stays where you are present on-site. If your residency at the property drops below six months, your permit eligibility lapses and is subject to revocation.