Humboldt County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Arcata?
RestrictedArcata requires a Short-Stay and Vacation Rental permit plus a business license and transient occupancy tax certificate, and holds the citywide total to one hundred permits issued first come first served, with a waitlist. Dwellings on lots occupied by the owner, historic landmarks, and units rented fewer than thirty days a year do not count against the hundred.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L1Ordinance list and disposition table · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Arcata Municipal Code Title VI, Chapter 2, Article 3, Secs. 6301 to 6305; Ord. 1543 effective 3/19/2021; Ord. 1545 effective 6/4/2021; Ord. 1559 effective 3/3/2023 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Arcata Municipal Code Title VI, Chapter 2, Article 3, Secs. 6301 to 6305; Ord. 1543 effective 3/19/2021; Ord. 1545 effective 6/4/2021; Ord. 1559 effective 3/3/2023 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Permit capPermits are capped at 100.L16302(C) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsThe total number of Vacation Rental permits that may be issued by the City at any one time is limited to one hundred (100), issued first come first served (Sec. 6302(C)). Exempt from that count under Sec. 6302(D): dwellings rented fewer than 30 days in a year, lots occupied by the Owner (the owner occupant exemption), and historic landmark properties. The City maintains a waitlist, with a $20.00 waitlist placement fee shown on the city program page.L16302(C) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsThe code does not say a vacation rental permit is revoked on sale. It says a Vacation Rental permit may not be transferred to a different Dwelling Unit (Sec. 6302(D)), so the permit is tied to the unit rather than to a person, and it requires that the Operator shall notify the City at least thirty (30) days prior to a change in Ownership (Sec. 6303(E)). Permits are issued for one year terms from the date of issuance (Sec. 6302(F)), so a buyer must in any case renew, hold an Arcata business license and stay current on transient occupancy tax. Because the operative sentences do not expressly grant continuation to a new owner, confirm with the City before relying on a permit surviving a sale.L16302(D) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
6302(C)“The total number of Vacation Rental permits that may be issued by the City at any one (1) time is limited to one hundred (100), which shall be issued on a first-come first-served basis.” source
6302(D)“A Vacation Rental permit may not be transferred to a different Dwelling Unit.” source
6303(E)“The Operator shall notify the City at least thirty (30) days prior to a change in Ownership.” source
Ordinance list and disposition table“Adds Title VI, Ch. 2, Art. 3, short-stay and vacation rentals” source
Citation: Arcata Municipal Code Title VI, Chapter 2, Article 3, Secs. 6301 to 6305; Ord. 1543 effective 3/19/2021; Ord. 1545 effective 6/4/2021; Ord. 1559 effective 3/3/2023
Check a specific address
The checker resolves any California address to its jurisdiction and returns these rules with their verification level. Where a county or city publishes a licensed-rental registry or parcel map (Riverside County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and a growing list), it also runs parcel spacing, permit cap, and registry checks.
How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-13 by the CanIBnB research desk. Research is AI assisted and human reviewed; the method, the level system, and the re-check schedule are on the How we verify page. If anything here is wrong, report it and it goes in the public corrections log.