City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Chula Vista, CA
How Chula Vista 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.
- operator's primary residence must be located in the City (reside 275+ days/year) — forecloses the out-of-city absentee operator
- per-resident cap of 2 short-term rental permits (one primary + one non-primary residence)
- primary-residence whole-home rental capped at 90 nights/year
- STR permit required plus transient occupancy tax
Based on: Chula Vista Municipal Code Ch. 5.68 (Short-Term Rentals), added by Ord. 3514 (2021)
Summary of the rule
Chula Vista Municipal Code § 5.68.050(A) (Eligibility requirements): 'Primary Residence must be located in the City.' § 5.68.030 defines that a Person may have 'only one Primary Residence and must reside there for a minimum of 275 days during the calendar year.' Because every STR permit (including the one Non-Primary Residence permit a person may hold) requires the applicant to hold a Chula Vista primary residence, an out-of-city / absentee investor is categorically ineligible and cannot operate a whole-home STR.
Last reviewed Sep 22, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Chula Vista · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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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.