County jurisdiction · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in unincorporated Santa Cruz County?
AllowedUnincorporated Santa Cruz County allows hosted and non-hosted short-term rentals with a county permit and TOT registration, subject to numeric caps by area, a 20 percent per-block density limit, and a waiting list when caps are full. The permit is issued to the owner and expires on a sale that triggers property tax reassessment, so most buyers must apply for a new permit and may face the waiting list.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L113.10.694(D)(1)(a) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1SCCC 13.10.694 (Ord. 5092 sec. 6, 2011; Ord. 5198 sec. 1, 2015; Ord. 5229 sec. 5, 2016; Ord. 5264 sec. 13, 2018; Ord. 5265 sec. 12, 2018; Ord. 5266 sec. 8, 2018; Ord. 5345 sec. 5, 2020; Ord. 5365 sec. 5, 2021; Ord. 5497, 8-19-2025) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1SCCC 13.10.694 (Ord. 5092 sec. 6, 2011; Ord. 5198 sec. 1, 2015; Ord. 5229 sec. 5, 2016; Ord. 5264 sec. 13, 2018; Ord. 5265 sec. 12, 2018; Ord. 5266 sec. 8, 2018; Ord. 5345 sec. 5, 2020; Ord. 5365 sec. 5, 2021; Ord. 5497, 8-19-2025) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsCaps by designated area (13.10.694): Live Oak Designated Area 262 non-hosted and 18 hosted; Seacliff/Aptos/La Selva Designated Area 147 non-hosted and 45 hosted; Davenport/Swanton Designated Area 3 non-hosted and 4 hosted; outside designated areas 270 non-hosted and 185 hosted. Plus a block density cap: no new STR approved if it would result in block density greater than 20 percent. A permit waiting list is maintained when caps are reached.L113.10.694 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsPermits are issued to property owners for a specific property and are not transferable between owners or properties. When a property transfer triggers reassessment under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 60 et seq. as determined by the Assessor, the permit expires and becomes nonrenewable at the time of transfer. Implication: transfers that do not trigger reassessment (many spousal, parent-child, and same-owner trust or entity transfers) do not expire the permit; no other family or heir exception is stated.L113.10.694 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the county's own words
13.10.694(D)(1)(a)“Every short-term rental property shall hold both a valid short-term rental permit and a Transient Occupancy Tax registration certificate.” source
13.10.694“When a property transfer triggers reassessment pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 60 et seq., as determined by the Assessor, the short-term rental permit associated with the property shall expire and shall become nonrenewable at the time of property transfer.” source
13.10.694“Short-term rental permits are issued to property owners for a specific property and are not transferable between owners or properties.” source
13.10.694“no more than 262 non-hosted rental permits shall be issued, and no more than 18 hosted rental permits shall be issued” source
Citation: SCCC 13.10.694 (Ord. 5092 sec. 6, 2011; Ord. 5198 sec. 1, 2015; Ord. 5229 sec. 5, 2016; Ord. 5264 sec. 13, 2018; Ord. 5265 sec. 12, 2018; Ord. 5266 sec. 8, 2018; Ord. 5345 sec. 5, 2020; Ord. 5365 sec. 5, 2021; Ord. 5497, 8-19-2025)
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.