Where short-term rentals are allowed in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma stopped approving new vacation rentals under a moratorium that began in October 2016. The one opening left is the adaptive re-use of a historic structure. Code Enforcement tracks illegal rentals through citizen complaints, helped by a third-party vendor's software.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Sonoma?
Your zoning decides
- Seasonal homes
- 269
- Housing units
- 5,992
- Residents
- 10,670
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay15%
- Seasonal homes45 per 1,000
Sonoma short-term rental rules
The City of Sonoma no longer accepts new vacation rentals. Its City Council adopted regulations prohibiting them on December 4, 2017, effective 30 days later. Vacation rentals stopped being a conditionally-permitted use in the Mixed Use and Commercial zones. In Residential zones, new ones were already prohibited. A new application is still possible for a project that re-uses a historic structure. Existing licensed vacation rentals may continue if they meet updated operating standards. Overnight occupancy is two persons per sleeping room or guestroom, plus two more per unit. Outdoor amplified sound is prohibited. Each rental needs a property manager whose contact information is on file with the City. Online listings must show a Business License or Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate number.[4]
What Sonoma asks of you
The City Council adopted regulations prohibiting new vacation rentals on December 4, 2017. The ordinance became effective 30 days later.[4]
Vacation rentals are no longer a conditionally-permitted use in the Mixed Use and Commercial zones.[4]
In Residential zones, new vacation rentals were already prohibited before that vote.[4]
An exception provides for new applications involving the adaptive re-use of a historic structure.[4]
Existing licensed vacation rentals are allowed to continue, provided they meet updated operating standards. The city posts a list of the legal ones.[4]
Maximum overnight occupancy is two persons per sleeping room or guestroom, plus two additional persons per unit.[4]
Outdoor amplified sound is prohibited at a vacation rental.[4]
A property manager is required, with contact information provided to the City.[4]
Online advertisements have to include a Business License or Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate number.[4]
The ordinance allows an annual inspection fee, which the City Council could establish later. No amount appears on the city's page.[4]
An accessory dwelling unit may only be rented for periods of 30 days or more. Junior accessory dwelling units fall under the same limit, as do efficiency dwelling units.[5]
For an illegal vacation rental, an Administrative Notice & Order tells the owner to stop. It also demands records of the days stayed, with the dollar amount from each day.[4]
Unresolved cases proceed to an Administrative Hearing, where the hearing officer files a written decision within 45 days.[4]
The city's vacation rental page publishes no fine amount. It states no primary-residence rule either.[4]
Every business operating within Sonoma city limits files a business license annually under Municipal Code 5.04. The license period starts January 1, with annual fees due by February 1.[7]
What California asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
No state license exists for short-term rentals in California. The state's 2025 act on booking platforms says it does not preempt a local short-term rental ordinance.[1]
Since July 1, 2024, every mandatory fee has to sit inside the rate you advertise. Only government taxes and fees may be added later.[2]
State law caps city fines when a short-term rental violation threatens health or safety. The first ceiling is $1,500. A second violation within the year reaches $3,000, each later one $5,000.[3]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Sonoma
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Sonoma transient occupancy tax[6] | 13% | The city |
| Sonoma Tourism Improvement District assessment[6] | 2% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 15% |
The 13% tax falls on stays lasting 30 days or less. The 2% assessment is added to all overnight stays in the City limits, vacation rentals included. Operators file both through an online portal hosted by HdL. The city's tax page states no filing frequency.[6]
What the census counts
How much of Sonoma is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 269 of Sonoma's 5,992 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 45 out of every 1,000. It ranks Sonoma 23rd of the 42 California cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 23rd of 42
- Share of housing
- 45 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $970,500
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Sonoma sits among its neighbors
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Restricted by zone
In residential zones, permits are capped at 900 and new applications have gone to a waitlist since August 21, 2026.
South Lake Tahoe short-term rental rulesSanta Rosa, CA
Capped
382 seasonal homes, 5 per 1,000 housing units.
Santa Rosa short-term rental rulesSan Clemente, CA
Allowed by zone
1,523 seasonal homes, 56 per 1,000 housing units.
San Clemente short-term rental rulesEncinitas, CA
Permit required
1,086 seasonal homes, 41 per 1,000 housing units.
Encinitas short-term rental rulesFAQ
Sonoma short-term rental questions
Can I start a new vacation rental in the City of Sonoma?
Can I rent my Sonoma ADU to vacationers?
What tax do guests pay on a Sonoma vacation rental?
Does Sonoma require the license number in a vacation rental listing?
Sources
- Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025 (SB 346), Government Code sections 50990 to 50996, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Business and Professions Code section 17568.6, lodging price display, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Government Code section 36900, fines for city ordinance violations, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Vacation Rental Regulation, City of Sonoma, read on October 1, 2026
- Can I use an Accessory Dwelling Unit as a vacation rental?, City of Sonoma, read on October 1, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), City of Sonoma, read on October 1, 2026
- Business Licenses, City of Sonoma, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.