Santa Cruz County Moves to Rein in Vacation Rentals

3/19/2025

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to support new restrictions on short-term rentals. The proposed changes would cap the number of “non-hosted” vacation rentals in the county to 270. Hosted rentals, where the owner lives on-site, would be limited to 250. Currently, there are no restrictions on the number of vacation rentals in large sections of the county. Under the planned new rules, rental platforms would be required to remove illegal listings or face penalties, and landlords would be forced to pay six months of rent to tenants who are evicted if property becomes a vacation home. The proposed restrictions still need to be reviewed by the county planning commission and the California Coastal Commission before heading back to the board of supervisors for a final vote.

Lookout Santa Cruz (03/12/25)