Truckee, CA short-term rental limits

What Truckee asks of you

• It is unlawful to advertise or operate a short-term rental without a transient occupancy registration certificate. Separate certificates are required for each unit.^[13]

• Every zone district that allows residential use allows short-term rentals, once the certificate is approved.^[13]

• The town says it has reached its cap of 1,255, with no registrations currently available.^[6]

• Waitlist standings updated on September 8, 2026 show 324 applications. The town was trending at a 19.6 month wait that day.^[6]

• Accessory dwelling units cannot apply for the waitlist, junior ones included. Multi-family dwelling units are shut out too, along with mobile homes or manufactured homes.^[7]

• A 365-day waiting period follows a home sale before the new owner may apply for the waitlist.^[7]

• The waitlist application takes a $100 non-refundable deposit, paid by credit card or by ACH.^[8]

• The town's FAQ says the $100 goes toward the full registration fee once it is your turn to register.^[10]

• For the registration step, the town prints 'Registration Fee $443.33'. Two lines sit under it: a remaining registration fee balance of $293, then an annual fire fee of $150.33.^[8]

• A waitlist applicant notified of an opening has 30 days to register the property.^[8]

• Certificates are renewed annually through the STR Portal. Renewal applications open November 1 and close December 31, with an annual renewal fee of $543.33.^[9]

• A host who misses that window is unable to renew, then has to sign up for the waitlist.^[9]

• The code allows two guests per bedroom, with two additional people on top. Children under thirteen are excluded from that count.^[13]

• Occupancy limits apply overnight. The code starts counting at 10:00 p.m. and stops when 7:00 a.m. arrives.^[13]

• On-site paved parking is required. Street parking is not permitted, nor is parking in an unpaved area.^[5]

• The local contact person responds by phone within thirty minutes, on a twenty-four hour basis. Any violation must be discontinued within sixty minutes.^[13]

• Each advertisement lists the maximum number of occupants, the parking spaces allowed and the certificate number.^[13]

• Weekly two-bin garbage service is required at each rental, along with a bear bin.^[5]

• The Truckee Fire Protection District inspects a rental within three years of initial registration approval, then once every three years. The district's current cost for that inspection is $500.^[11]

• Charcoal grills, wood-burning pits and campfires are prohibited.^[5]

• A first administrative citation carries a fine not to exceed $1,500. A second violation within one year lifts that maximum to $3,000. Each additional violation can cost $5,000.^[13]

• Three citations within a 12-month period revoke the certificate. No new one is issued for 12 months after the revocation.^[13]

• On September 22, 2026, the Town Council had a discussion item on certificates that report little rental activity. The town's page posts no outcome for that discussion.^[4]

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]