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What is a Hosted Rental?

A Hosted Rental is a short-term rental (less than 30 days) of one or two bedrooms in a home, where the property owner will stay on site during the rental. A Hosted Rental is different from a “Vacation Rental” which is a short-term rental of an entire house. A Hosted Rental is also different from a “Bed and Breakfast” which is a hosted short-term rental of three to five rooms. 
It is strongly advised that you consult with a planner via a Zoning appointment before applying for a new short-term rental.

Want to Learn More?

Hosted Rental Ordinance

Questions?

Email us at vacation.eplanreview@santacruzcountyca.gov or schedule an appointment.

Hosted Rental Permits

Wait List Requests

The Planning Department is currently maintaining a Wait List for Vacation Rental and Hosted Rental permits in the three Designated Areas (LODA, SALSDA, and DASDA). A County-wide cap of 250 Hosted Rentals also applies. Hosted Rental Permits are issued on a first-applied, first-issued system, with evaluation of permit availability occurring on a bi-annual basis (June 1st and December 1st). There is a $145.00 annual Wait List fee to maintain a space on the List.

To submit a Wait List request, please complete the Wait List Form and email it to: vacation.eplanreview@santacruzcountyca.gov for review and signature. Applications will not be accepted without signature. Following receipt of signature, please drop off the completed form with the cashier during Planning Counter business hours, or mail it, along with the annual Wait List Fee ($145.00 check made out to the County of Santa Cruz) to:

Santa Cruz County Planning Department
Atten: Vacation/Hosted Rental Permit Processing
701 Ocean Street, 4th Floor
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Property owners must obtain a permit in order to operate a Hosted Rental in Santa Cruz County. Permits are valid for five years.

Application Requirements

  New Hosted Rental Permits

  • Application Form (PLG-155)
  • Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate or signed application form from the County Tax Collector (701 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA; For more information, visit the County’s TOT Website, review the TOT Application Form or contact the Tax Collector at (831) 454-2510 or ttc.webmail@santacruzcountyca.gov.
  • Copy of rental/lease agreement. For hosts who use an online hosting platform such as AirBnb where the rental/lease agreement may be integrated into the online platform website, a copy of the House Rules is sufficient. See Application Form for a list of required items to include in rental/lease agreement or house rules. Applicants can start with the Sample Hosted Rental Agreement and fill in project-specific information.
  • Nonrefundable application fee of $153.68.

  Permit Renewals

  • Application Form (PLG-160)
  • Proof of Significant Use: A summary of the dates the unit was used as a hosted rental, betwen the time of issuance of the existing permit and the date of renewal application, is required. See application form (PLG-160) for details. 
  • Nonrefundable application fee of $153.68.

Apply for a Hosted Rental Permit

All Hosted Rental Permit application submittals are being taken in remotely via the department’s online “ePlan” portal. To submit a Hosted Rental application, please visit the ePlan Review Page.

For more information about the ePlan process, please refer to: Discretionary ePlan Instruction & Application Process

Questions? Visit the Planning Counter, email us at vacation.eplanreview@santacruzcountyca.gov or call the Zoning Information Line at (831) 454-2130.