San Diego has required a Short-Term Residential Occupancy license since May 1, 2023, issued in four tiers and valid for two years. Whole-home rentals where the host lives elsewhere fall under Tier 3, or Tier 4 in Mission Beach; both are capped in number and carry a $1,129 license fee plus a $41 application fee. Transient occupancy tax is 11.75% to 13.75% depending on the city tax zone.
Facts
| Field | Value | Stated by |
|---|---|---|
| Place | San Diego | - |
| State | CA | - |
| Jurisdiction type | city | - |
| Permit required | Yes | Source 1 |
| Permit name | Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) License | - |
| Permit fee (USD) | $1,129 | Source 1 |
| Fee notes | Tier 3 and Tier 4 (whole-home) license fee as of March 1, 2025; a separate $41 application fee applies. Tier 1: $33 application / $193 license. Tier 2: $33 application / $284 license. | - |
| Renewal period | 2 years | Source 1 |
| Non-owner-occupied rental allowed | Restricted (only in some zones, tiers or numbers) | Source 1 |
| Caps and zoning limits | Whole-home rentals where the host does not reside onsite need a Tier 3 license (capped at 1% of the city's housing units outside Mission Beach) or a Tier 4 license in the Mission Beach Community Planning Area (capped at 30% of that area). | Source 1 |
| Annual night cap | No annual cap is stated for Tiers 2 to 4; Tier 1 covers rentals of 20 days or less per year. | Source 1 |
| Local lodging tax | varies (see tax notes) | Source 2 |
| State lodging tax | unknown | - |
| Platform collects tax | Yes | Source 1 |
| Tax notes | Transient occupancy tax depends on the city tax zone: 11.75% (Zone 1), 12.75% (Zone 2) or 13.75% (Zone 3) since May 1, 2025. Hosting platforms collect and remit the tax only when the platform collects the rent from guests. No state page on a state-level lodging tax was read. | - |
| Penalties | Operating without a license is a violation that can lead to a Notice of Violation with an assessment of penalties; no dollar amount is stated on the page read. | Source 1 |
| Fields not confirmed | State lodging tax | - |
| Last checked | 2026-10-07 | - |
| Dataset row id | san-diego-ca | - |
"unknown" means the value was not found on the official pages read on the check date, not that no such rule exists. "Stated by" points to the numbered source below.
Sources
- City Treasurer: Short-Term Residential Occupancy
- City Treasurer: Transient Occupancy Tax. Published on www.sandiego.gov. Address: https://www.sandiego.gov/treasurer/taxesfees/tot
At most one official page per place is linked; every other source is cited as text with its full address.
Sources last checked: 2026-10-07