CanIBnBCalifornia STR Rules
County jurisdiction · checked 2026-09-13

Can you BnB it in unincorporated El Dorado County?

The rules, with their sources

Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L1Ch. 5.56 (Ord. 5209) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Chapter 5.56 Hosted and Vacation Home Rentals, enacted by Ordinance No. 5209, adopted 10-22-2024; earlier VHR ordinances include Ord. 5135; code codified through Ord. 5263 (5-19-2026). · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Chapter 5.56 Hosted and Vacation Home Rentals, enacted by Ordinance No. 5209, adopted 10-22-2024; earlier VHR ordinances include Ord. 5135; code codified through Ord. 5263 (5-19-2026). · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Permit capPermits are capped at 900.L15.56.055 (Ord. 5209) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsCap applies only in the Lake Tahoe Basin portion of the unincorporated county: no more than 900 vacation home rental permits (5.56.055, quoted from Ord. 5209). Hosted home rentals are a separate permit type; the county FAQ describes a 500 foot anti-clustering buffer that blocks new VHR applications near active rentals (5.56.056 Vacation home rental clustering exists in the code's table of contents; its text could not be opened). No cap stated for the West Slope.L15.56.055 (Ord. 5209) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
SpacingA separation of 500 feet applies between rentals.L1Chapter 5.56 Hosted and Vacation Home Rentals, enacted by Ordinance No. 5209, adopted 10-22-2024; earlier VHR ordinances include Ord. 5135; code codified through Ord. 5263 (5-19-2026). · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsA hosted or vacation home rental permit is not transferable with the property and becomes void upon sale or transfer of the property interest to another owner or entity. Exception in the ordinance: the restriction is not intended to apply to transfers of property interests between spouses or transfers solely for estate planning purposes. The county FAQ likewise states VHR and HHR permits do not transfer to new owners. No transfer application window in days found.L1Ch. 5.56 (Ord. 5209) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →

In the county's own words

Ch. 5.56 (Ord. 5209)“No owner of a hosted or vacation home rental shall rent that unit for 30 consecutive calendar days or less without a valid hosted or vacation home rental permit” source
5.56.055 (Ord. 5209)“Within the Lake Tahoe Basin portion of the unincorporated area of El Dorado County, no more than 900 vacation home rental permits shall be issued.” source
Ch. 5.56 (Ord. 5209)“A hosted or vacation home rental permit is not transferable with the property and becomes void upon sale or transfer of the property interest to another owner/entity.” source
Ch. 5.56 (Ord. 5209)“This restriction is not intended to apply to the transfer of property interests between spouses [...] or transfers of property interest solely for estate planning purposes.” source

Citation: Chapter 5.56 Hosted and Vacation Home Rentals, enacted by Ordinance No. 5209, adopted 10-22-2024; earlier VHR ordinances include Ord. 5135; code codified through Ord. 5263 (5-19-2026).

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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.