San Diego has steady demand from beachgoers, conventions and military families, but the City of San Diego caps whole-home rentals and enforces a license system that shapes who can host and how often a property must actually be used. If you are buying or hiring help here, start with the license tier, because it decides almost everything else.
As of 2026, every stay under one month inside city limits requires a Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) license. There are four tiers. Tier 1 covers part-time rentals of 20 days or less per year. Tier 2 is home sharing, where the host lives on site. Tier 3 covers whole-home rentals outside Mission Beach and is capped at 1% of the city's housing units. Tier 4 covers whole-home rentals in Mission Beach and is capped at 30% of that community's units. The city's posted fees (effective March 1, 2025) put Tier 3 and 4 licenses at $1,129 plus an application fee, for a two-year term. Licenses go only to natural persons, not LLCs. Tier 3 and 4 homes carry a two-night minimum stay and must be rented at least 90 days a year or risk revocation. Hosts need a local contact who responds to complaints within one hour, an exterior notice showing the license number, and the TOT certificate number on every ad.
Transient Occupancy Tax is now zone-based. Since May 1, 2025, the city lists 11.75% in Zone 1, 12.75% in Zone 2 and 13.75% in Zone 3, with Zone 3 closest to the Convention Center. Use the city's zone lookup map for your address. Airbnb lists San Diego among the places where it collects and remits occupancy tax, but direct bookings remain your responsibility. Coronado, Oceanside, Carlsbad and unincorporated county areas have separate rules.
We did not find a published San Diego price survey. HomeGuide's national figures put a typical turnover around $150, and note that large metro areas run higher than the national range, so get at least two written quotes. Expect quotes to rise for beach properties, where sand removal, salt film on glass and fixtures, and mildew checks in ocean-facing units add time. Parking near the beach and in dense neighborhoods like Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and North Park can also add cost or limit which teams will take the job.
Summer is peak, roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, and Comic-Con in July fills the city for a week. Big conventions can spike demand downtown at other times of year. Because San Diego's weather is mild, winter stays busier than in most beach markets, though weekdays soften. Lock in summer cleaning coverage by spring, since teams fill their calendars early.
Possibly, but supply is limited. Tier 3 and Tier 4 are capped, and the Mission Beach application period has been closed. Check the city's STRO page for current openings and waitlist status.
No. As of 2026 the city issues licenses only to natural persons, so plan ownership and licensing together.
Generally yes. Non-refundable fees charged to the guest, like cleaning fees, are treated as part of taxable rent. Confirm with the City Treasurer.
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