Santa Cruz County · Renting & eviction

Renting in Santa Cruz County: the rules that apply

Santa Cruz County's own rules first, then the state law underneath — with the code text for every value.

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Key points

Rent increases — Santa Cruz County rule Eviction and just cause — state law Relocation payments — Santa Cruz County rule Notices — Santa Cruz County rule Security deposits — state law Retaliation — Santa Cruz County rule Harassment and lockouts — state law Repairs and habitability — state law Landlord entry — state law Short-term rentals — Santa Cruz County rule Hotel and short-term rental tax — Santa Cruz County rule

Santa Cruz County adds its own rules on rent increases, relocation payments, notices, retaliation, short-term rentals and hotel and short-term rental tax on top of California's statewide rules. Each value below links to the section of the Santa Cruz County Municipal Code it was read from (checked October 2026).

Each rule below is marked Santa Cruz County code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Santa Cruz County's code applies in the unincorporated areas of the county. Cities in Santa Cruz County have their own codes and their own pages.

Rent increases

Santa Cruz County code What Santa Cruz County's code adds
Annual increase limit	No rent increase while repairs required by an order are underway Applies: Residential dwelling or mobilehome space during repairs required by an order § 8.45.050 · code text It is unlawful for a property owner to increase the amount of rent for any dwelling or mobilehome space rented for residential purposes during the time that repairs are being made pursuant to any order requiring said repairs.

CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. Rent cap right now: 8.6% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 (5% plus 3.6% inflation) (Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1), (g)). California's statewide rent cap — the full state rule →

Eviction and just cause

CA state law Santa Cruz County has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Just cause required: After 12 months of lawful occupancy, the owner may terminate only for a just cause stated in the notice (Civ. Code § 1946.2(a)). Just-cause eviction in California — the full state rule →

Relocation payments

Santa Cruz County code 3 months of fair market rent for a comparable unit, or 3 months of actual rent, whichever is greater. cost of alternative, safe and legal temporary housing for an additional one month

All 19 Santa Cruz County rules on relocation payments, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Notices

Santa Cruz County code The tenant's right to receive interest on the security deposit each year. The interest rate the security deposit will earn.

All 5 Santa Cruz County rules on notices, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Security deposits

CA state law Santa Cruz County has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Security deposit cap: One month's rent, on top of the first month's rent (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(6)). Deposit return deadline: 21 calendar days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of any deductions (Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(1)). California security deposit law — the full state rule →

Retaliation

Santa Cruz County code Lawfully organizing or taking part in a tenants' association or affordable-rent or tenant-rights group; lawfully and peaceably using legal rights. Organizing and acting together as tenants, giving organizers access, holding tenant or group meetings, posting rights literature, using legal rights.

All 5 Santa Cruz County rules on retaliation, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Harassment and lockouts

CA state law Santa Cruz County has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Lockouts and self-help eviction banned: A landlord may not change locks, remove doors or windows, or remove the tenant's belongings to force a tenant out (Civ. Code § 789.3(b)). Utility shutoffs banned: A landlord may not cut off water, heat, electricity, gas or other utilities to force a tenant out (Civ. Code § 789.3(a)). Tenant harassment and lockouts in California — the full state rule →

Repairs and habitability

CA state law Santa Cruz County has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Duty to keep the unit habitable: The landlord must deliver a unit fit to live in and repair conditions that make it untenantable (Civ. Code § 1941). Repair and deduct: A tenant may make a repair the landlord neglects and deduct the cost from rent, up to one month's rent, no more than twice in any 12 months (Civ. Code § 1942(a)). Habitability and repair-and-deduct — the full state rule →

Landlord entry

CA state law Santa Cruz County has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Landlord entry notice: Reasonable written notice, presumed to be 24 hours, and entry only during normal business hours (Civ. Code § 1954(d)(1), (e)). Landlord entry notice in California — the full state rule →

Short-term rentals

Santa Cruz County code What Santa Cruz County's code adds
Allowed	Not allowed. Applies: Accessory structures, ADUs, legally restricted affordable units, balconies, porches and sheds. § 13.10.694 · code text Habitable and non-habitable accessory structures, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), legally restricted affordable housing units, balconies, porches, and sheds shall not be used for short-term rental. Not allowed. Applies: Applies to recreational vehicles. § 13.10.694 · code text Recreational vehicles shall only be used for short-term commercial lodging on parcels appropriately zoned and permitted for such uses and are not allowable for short-term rental use. Hosted rentals allowed in legal homes with no more than 3 bedrooms where homes are allowed; Minor Use Permit required. Applies: Unless Use Charts say otherwise. With a permitted JADU, only if the owner or immediate family lives there; new permits need an Administrative Use Permit. § 13.10.694 · code text (7) Hosted Rentals. (a) The purpose of this section is to establish regulations specifically applicable to bedrooms in a dwelling unit that are rented as hosted rentals for periods of no more than 30 days at a time. These regulations are in addition to all other provisions of this title. (b) New or renewal hosted rental permits shall require a Minor Use Permit as defined in SCCC, Chapter 18.10. (i) Applications for new hosted rental permits for properties containing a permitted JADU shall require an Administrative Use Permit as defined in SCCC Chapter 18.10. (c) Hosted rentals are allowed in any legal dwelling unit with no more than three bedrooms in any zone district where a residential use is allowed unless otherwise specified in the Use Charts contained in this chapter. (i) Properties containing a permitted JADU may be used as a hosted rental provided that the property owner or immediate family member resides on the property. Not allowed. Applies: Mobile Home Park (MH) Combining District, multifamily buildings of 4 or more units, certain specially approved units, and urban lot split parcels. § 13.10.694 · code text Short-term rentals are prohibited within the Mobile Home Park (MH) Combining District, multifamily dwellings of four units or more, units approved pursuant to SCCC § 13.10.327, and parcels that have been subject to an urban lot split pursuant to SCCC § 13.10.328.
Cap on rentals	Only 1 dwelling on the property may be a non-hosted rental. Applies: Properties with more than 1 dwelling in a legal dwelling group. The owner or agent may live in another dwelling there. § 13.10.694 · code text Where there is more than one dwelling on a property as part of a legal dwelling group, not more than one dwelling part of the dwelling group can be permitted as a non-hosted rental and the owner/operator/contact person/agent may live in a dwelling that is not used as a non-hosted rental.
Primary residence	A long-term resident host must live in the home. Applies: Hosted rentals only. Whole-home non-hosted rentals are a separate permit type. § 13.10.694 · code text (5) "Hosted rental" means a legal dwelling unit with two or more bedrooms, where a long-term resident acting as host occupies one or more bedrooms in a dwelling unit, while no more than three legal bedrooms are rented for the purpose of overnight lodging for a period of no more than 30 days. \| For the purposes of these regulations the following are not considered to be hosted rentals: (1) ongoing month-to-month tenancy granted to the same tenant for the same space, (2) permitted non-hosted rentals in which the entire home is rented while no host is present, and (3) short-term rentals within a home, which meet the requirements of bed and breakfast inns per SCCC § 13.10.691 and are permitted as such. \| \| --- \|

Hotel and short-term rental tax

Santa Cruz County code What Santa Cruz County's code adds
Short-term rentals	Yes. Applies: Applies to vacation rental properties. § 4.24.030 · code text For the privilege of occupancy in any transient occupancy facility that is a vacation rental property, such transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of 14 percent of the rent charged.
Tax rate	12% of the rent. Applies: Applies to hotels, motels, inns and similar commercial lodging. § 4.24.030 · code text For the privilege of occupancy in any transient occupancy facility that is a hotel, motel, inn, or similar commercial lodging facility, such transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of 12 percent of the rent charged. 14% of the rent. Applies: Applies to vacation rental properties. § 4.24.030 · code text For the privilege of occupancy in any transient occupancy facility that is a vacation rental property, such transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of 14 percent of the rent charged.
Who collects it	The operator collects the tax from each guest at the same time as the rent. § 4.24.060 · code text Each operator shall collect the tax imposed by this chapter to the same extent and at the same time as the rent is collected from every transient.

Other Santa Cruz County rules on this

Santa Cruz County's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.

Tenant Protections Against Retaliation and Harassment (Ch. 8.43)

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

How much can rent go up in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County's code: No rent increase while repairs required by an order are underway (Residential dwelling or mobilehome space during repairs required by an order) (§ 8.45.050). State law: 8.6% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 (5% plus 3.6% inflation) (Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1), (g)).

Does a landlord in Santa Cruz County need a reason to evict?

Santa Cruz County has no local rule on this that we found (checked October 2026); state law applies: After 12 months of lawful occupancy, the owner may terminate only for a just cause stated in the notice (Civ. Code § 1946.2(a)).

How much can a Santa Cruz County landlord charge for a security deposit?

Santa Cruz County has no local rule on this that we found (checked October 2026); state law applies: One month's rent, on top of the first month's rent (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(6)).

Can I rent out my home short-term in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County's code: Not allowed. (Accessory structures, ADUs, legally restricted affordable units, balconies, porches and sheds.) (§ 13.10.694); Not allowed. (Applies to recreational vehicles.) (§ 13.10.694).

What is the hotel tax on short-term rentals in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County's code: Yes. (Applies to vacation rental properties.) (§ 4.24.030); 12% of the rent. (Applies to hotels, motels, inns and similar commercial lodging.) (§ 4.24.030).

General information, not legal advice.

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More on Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County Municipal Code — full text

Buying & selling in Santa Cruz County

Building on your lot in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County overview