Short-term & mid-term rentals

Airbnb & mid-term rentals in San Diego County

Whether a home can be a short-term rental depends on the rules where its parcel sits, not on the mailing address. We tag every listing's parcel against each city's and the county's rules, so you can see which homes for sale may work as an Airbnb, which need a closer look, and which only work as a mid-term (31+ nights) or long-term rental.

Rules by city STR & MTR calculator

Can I Airbnb this address?

Any home in San Diego County, listed or not.

On STR-eligible parcels
2,974
Active listings
Limited or check
647
A cap, an owner rule, or a fact to confirm
On closed parcels
658
Mid-term or long-term only
Rules tracked
19
18 cities and the county

Homes for sale where a short-term rental may be allowed

Green: the rules allow a whole-home short-term rental on this kind of home there. Amber: allowed only under a cap or an owner rule, or it depends on a fact we can't read (a zone, a nearby school). Cards open the listing's short-term tab when the parcel is eligible, its mid-term tab otherwise.

Parcel status

3,621 listings

  • STR-eligible
  • Limited or check

Rules by city

Compare every city

Before you buy for short-term rental

  • The parcel decides, not the mailing address

    A home follows the rules of the city or county its parcel sits in. Lake San Marcos and Twin Oaks Valley have San Marcos addresses but are unincorporated county land, with the county's rules.

  • So does the buyer

    San Diego issues one whole-home license per person, so whether you can hold one depends on you, not only the home. Chula Vista licenses only its residents, and Del Mar only an owner's primary residence.

  • HOAs can say no

    An HOA may ban rentals of 30 days or less (Civ. Code §4741). Read the CC&Rs before you write an offer on a condo or townhome.

  • Mid-term sits outside the short-term rules

    Furnished stays of 31+ nights (a full calendar month in San Diego) are outside every short-term rental ordinance and occupancy tax in the county.

  • No Airbnb income estimate

    We don't estimate nightly rates or occupancy without a licensed data source. The calculator runs on your own numbers, next to the long-term rent we estimate from closed leases.

  • Rules change

    Each city's page links the code and city pages we read and the day we last checked them. Confirm with the city before you buy.