Short-term rentals in Butte County: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Butte County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (extracted October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Butte County's code says

Butte County code What Butte County's code adds
Allowed	Limited. Only in zones whose use tables allow them, with an administrative permit. Applies: Usually must be the owner's primary residence. Not in non-residential structures or farmworker housing. § 24-172.1 · code text Short-term rentals are subject to an administrative permit, pursuant to Butte County Code Chapter 24, Article 29, and shall be allowed as provided by the applicable zone (refer to the Use Regulation Tables for each zone to determine if short-term rentals are allowed), subject to the requirements of this section.
Cap on rentals	No more than 2 short-term rentals on the same parcel. Applies: For example, a main home and an approved ADU; 1 of the 2 must be a hosted stay. § 24-172.1 · code text No more than two (2) short-term rentals may be permitted on the same parcel (e.g., a primary residence and an approved accessory dwelling unit), and one (1) of the short-term rentals must be operated as a hosted stay. 1 short-term rental per parcel. Applies: Williamson Act land in agricultural use; parcel must be at least 10 acres for prime land or 40 acres for nonprime land. § 24-172.1 · code text Shall be limited for agricultural uses to one (1) short-term rental per parcel, provided the parcel meets the minimum parcel size requirements of ten (10) acres for prime land and forty (40) acres for nonprime land
Permit or registration	An administrative permit. A minor use permit and environmental review for some rentals that cannot meet the rules. Applies: The minor use permit path is only for parcels of 5 acres or more in zones with a 5-acre or larger minimum parcel size. § 24-172.1 · code text Short-term rentals are subject to an administrative permit, pursuant to Butte County Code Chapter 24, Article 29, and shall be allowed as provided by the applicable zone (refer to the Use Regulation Tables for each zone to determine if short-term rentals are allowed), subject to the requirements of this section.
Primary residence	Yes. A short-term rental must be a primary residence. Applies: Except parcels of 5 acres or more in 5-acre-minimum zones, owners living on an adjacent parcel, and seasonal cabins in listed communities. § 24-172.1 · code text Short-term rentals are required to be a primary residence as defined under this section, except when either of the following applies: No primary residence is required. Applies: The zone has a 5-acre or larger minimum parcel size, and the parcel is 5 acres or more. § 24-172.1 · code text The applicable zone has a 5-acre or greater minimum parcel size, and the applicable parcel is five (5) acres or greater in size. No primary residence is required. Applies: The owner lives permanently on an adjacent parcel that shares a property line with the rental parcel. § 24-172.1 · code text The owner of a short-term rental has a permanent residence and resides on an adjacent parcel sharing a common property line with the short-term rental parcel. No primary residence is required. Applies: Seasonal cabins in Butte Meadows (FR-5, FR-1, PUD zones), Jonesville (REC), Lake Madrone (MDR, LDR, VLDR) and Philbrook Reservoir (TM). § 24-172.1 · code text Short-term rentals located in the following communities and associated zones are not subject to the primary residency requirement under C. 1 above.

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

Butte County's code: Limited. Only in zones whose use tables allow them, with an administrative permit. (Usually must be the owner's primary residence. Not in non-residential structures or farmworker housing.) (§ 24-172.1); No more than 2 short-term rentals on the same parcel. (For example, a main home and an approved ADU; 1 of the 2 must be a hosted stay.) (§ 24-172.1).

Short-term rentals in Butte County

What Butte County's code says

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