Santa Cruz County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Santa Cruz?
RestrictedThe City of Santa Cruz allows only hosted short-term rentals for new operators, requires a permit, caps hosted permits at 250 citywide, and issues no new non-hosted permits. A permit becomes void when the property is sold, except for transfers exempt from tax reassessment such as many spousal, parent-child, and same-owner trust transfers.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L124.12.1715(1) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyOnly hosted rentals are allowed; the host must be present.L1SCMC Chapter 24.12 Part 18 (24.12.1700 to 24.12.1795), adopted by the 2017 to 2018 STR ordinance submitted for LCP certification; definition at 24.22.699 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe rental must be the operator's primary residence.L1SCMC Chapter 24.12 Part 18 (24.12.1700 to 24.12.1795), adopted by the 2017 to 2018 STR ordinance submitted for LCP certification; definition at 24.22.699 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Permit capPermits are capped at 250.L124.12.1750(3) and (4) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsCitywide cap of 250 hosted short-term rental permits (24.12.1750(4)); no new non-hosted STRs allowed (24.12.1750(3)), existing legally permitted non-hosted STRs may continue until their permits expire or are voided by sale. City page: hosted permits first come first served, no waitlist currently.L124.12.1750(3) and (4) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsPermits die on sale with one narrow exception. 24.12.1740: if any interest or title in the STR property is transferred or assigned to another person or business entity in any manner, the permit is deemed revoked, expired and void, and not renewable as of the transfer date. 24.12.1745: the only exception is a property transfer that qualifies as exempt from property tax reassessment under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 60 et seq. (as determined by the County Assessor), which covers common spousal, parent-child, and certain trust or same-owner entity transfers.L124.12.1740 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
24.12.1715(1)“No person shall offer any dwelling on residential property for transient occupancy of 30 days or less as a short-term rental property unless a Permit to Operate a Short-Term Rental is obtained pursuant to this chapter.” source
24.12.1740“The Short-Term Rental Permit is non-transferable, so that if any interest or title in the short-term rental property identified in the permit is transferred or assigned to another person or business entity in any manner, the Short-Term Rental Permit shall be deemed revoked, expired and void, and not renewable as of the date of the property transfer.” source
24.12.1745“The only exception to non-transferability of the Short-Term Rental Permit as set forth in Section 24.12.1740 is when a property transfer qualifies as an exemption from property tax reassessment pursuant to the California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 60 et seq., as determined by the Santa Cruz County Assessor.” source
24.12.1750(3) and (4)“Other than the existing non-hosted short-term rental permits allowed in 1, above, no new non-hosted short-term rentals shall be allowed. [...] the city shall allow up to a maximum of 250 hosted short-term rentals, which may be comprised of existing hosted short-term rental property and any new hosted short-term rental property.” source
Citation: SCMC Chapter 24.12 Part 18 (24.12.1700 to 24.12.1795), adopted by the 2017 to 2018 STR ordinance submitted for LCP certification; definition at 24.22.699
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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.