Body of News Release
San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin Community Development Agency has started accepting license applications for short-term rentals (STRs).
In January 2024, the Board of Supervisors voted to update a countywide ordinance that requires property owners to get a STR license for short-term rentals – typically vacation stays of 30 days or less.
With the launch of the new program, the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) has started reviewing STR license applications in the unincorporated areas of Marin. STR license applications can be submitted to CDA via its STR webpage. For those not eligible for a STR license, it’s possible to sign up for a waitlist.
"We are encouraging everyone who is running a short-term rental in unincorporated Marin to submit their application this winter,” said CDA’s STR Program Coordinator Daisy Sanchez. “We're here to help if people have questions."
STRs are a form of guest accommodation that generate income for property owners and employment for businesses that serve those guests. The majority of Marin’s STRs are in West Marin, especially in areas near the coast. Many of the properties are managed by online booking agents such as VRBO and Airbnb.
Commercial lodging businesses such as hotels, motels, agricultural homestays, bed and breakfast inns, and campgrounds do not require a STR license even if they advertise on VRBO or Airbnb.
The licensing program will help reduce problems related to noise, trash, and parking by those renting STRs, and make sure that water supply, septic systems, and emergency measures are adequate at those properties. The regulations also cap the number of short-term rentals allowable in certain coastal towns to address the lack of permanent housing in those communities. Also, the County has been mindful of the state’s Coastal Act, which says the California coastline should be available to all, not just those who own property.
Answers to many STR-related questions can be found on CDA’s STR webpage. Anyone may sign up to receive e-mailed updates about the STR program.