City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Arcata, CA
How Arcata regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Hard citywide cap of 100 non-exempt SSVR permits (Ordinance No. 1559) — a fixed quota on supply
- Cap has been reached; city accepts only exempt and waitlist applications (supply is closed to new non-exempt entrants)
- SSVR permit + regulatory framework layered on top of the cap (process burden as well as supply limit)
- Owner-occupied properties are exempted FROM the cap, so the constraint bites hardest on non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals
Based on: City of Arcata Short-Stay and Vacation Rental (SSVR) ordinance — Ordinance No. 1559, adopted Feb 1, 2023 (amending the
Summary of the rule
Hard cap of 100 non-exempt SSVR permits citywide under Ordinance No. 1559; cap reached, only exempt/waitlist applications accepted.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Arcata · system last checked Oct 24, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.