CanIBnBCalifornia STR Rules
Sonoma County · checked 2026-09-16

Can you BnB it in Sonoma?

The rules, with their sources

Permit or licenseNone available: short-term rentals are prohibited, so there is no permit to apply for.L119.10.050 Table 2-3 (Mixed Use) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Caps and limitsEffective prohibition on new vacation rentals since early 2018; the only new applications accepted involve adaptive reuse of a historic structure. A vacation rental may consist of no more than two complete residential units.L119.50.110(A) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Transfer when the home sellsCode silent on transfer in 19.50.110. Existing rentals continue as legal nonconforming uses tied to the property under 19.50.110(B) if they comply with the operating standards; whether nonconforming status survives a sale was not stated in the text read.L119.50.110(B) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Read the code text →

In the city's own words

19.10.050 Table 2-3 (Mixed Use)“Vacation Rental row: MX district symbol is a dash; legend: P = Use permitted, UP = Use permit required, L = License required, dash = Use not allowed; specific use regulations column cites SMC 19.50.110” source
city FAQ (official page, not code)“new applications for vacation rentals are limited to those involving the adaptive re-use of a historic structure” source
19.50.110(A)“A vacation rental shall consist of no more than two complete residential units.” source
19.50.110(A)“Visitor occupancy per unit shall be limited to a maximum of 29 consecutive days.” source

Citation: SMC 19.50.110 (Vacation rentals): Ord. 2003-02 sec. 3 (2003); Ord. 06-2013 sec. 3 (2013); Ord. 03-2016 sec. 2 (2016); Ord. 11-2017 sec. 3 (2017); new rental prohibition implemented early 2018 per the city FAQ; time-share prohibition Ord. 01-2022 and 07-2022 (19.50.140)

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How this page was verified

Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-16 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.