Pebble Beach Short-Term Rental Rules: County & PBC (2026)
Pebble Beach short-term rental rules: what the county allows, and what the Pebble Beach Company objects to
Renting a Pebble Beach home for less than 30 days runs through two separate gatekeepers: Monterey County, which licenses vacation rentals, and the Pebble Beach Company, which enforces deed restrictions and owns the roads. Here is how each works as of October 2026, and why monthly rentals are the simpler path.
The short version: In Pebble Beach, a rental of 30 days or less is a “vacation rental” under Monterey County rules. Every type needs a county Vacation Rental Operation License, a transient occupancy tax certificate, and a business license. Unlimited non-hosted rentals (Commercial Vacation Rentals) also need a coastal development permit, and only 57 can be permitted at any time in the Del Monte Forest. County permits don’t override private deed restrictions, and the Pebble Beach Company has issued a blanket objection to vacation rentals in the forest. Rentals of more than 30 days aren’t regulated by the county planning department.
Or less = vacation rental
Under Monterey County rules.
Commercial cap
Coastal permits at any one time in the Del Monte Forest.
County license fee
Operation license total; other fees extra.
Pebble Beach Company
A blanket objection to vacation rentals in the forest.
Three kinds of vacation rental
Monterey County’s coastal vacation rental rules, adopted September 23, 2025 and in effect since October 24, 2025, cover Pebble Beach. Only detached single-family homes qualify. Condos, duplexes, and ADUs can’t be vacation rentals.
Homestay
You stay in the home during the guests’ stay, and it must be your primary residence. No cap, and no more than one rental contract per seven days.
Limited Vacation Rental
Whole-house rental while you’re away, up to three stays in a 12-month period. No cap, and no more than one rental contract per seven days.
Commercial Vacation Rental
Whole-house rental with no limit on stays. It needs a coastal development permit or use permit on top of the license, and the county allows at most 57 such permits at any one time in the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan area.
What the county requires
From the county’s vacation rental page.
Transient occupancy tax
A TOT certificate from the County Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Operation license
A Vacation Rental Operation License from Housing and Community Development. The fee is $965, or $1,152.40 in total with related charges, plus $301 if Environmental Health review is needed for a well or septic. It doesn’t include TOT, the business license, or a commercial rental’s permit fee.
Business license
From the County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The license and business license renew every year.
Commercial rentals only
A coastal development permit or use permit. The county says review takes four to five months on average, compared with about a month for homestays and limited rentals.
Private roads
Commercial rentals must meet the county’s private-road rules. Where access is disputed, the county can require proof of access, either written agreement from all parties to the road or a court judgment, before operating. Pebble Beach roads are owned by the Pebble Beach Company.
Who can own one
The county limits each applicant to an ownership interest in one commercial vacation rental in the unincorporated county. After a court ruling, it has suspended enforcement of the provision that treated corporate and other entity owners differently from individuals; that litigation is ongoing.
Once approved, the applicant must mail notice to property owners within 300 feet. County vacation rentals page .
The Pebble Beach Company and the DMFPO
County approval is only half the picture in the Del Monte Forest.
Pebble Beach Company
The county says the Pebble Beach Company has issued a blanket objection to vacation rental operations in the Del Monte Forest, and that it may enforce CC&Rs, deed restrictions, and private access restrictions separately from county permits. An owner who operates anyway may face civil liability even with a valid county permit.
The DMFPO’s FAQ says vacation rentals need written consent from the Pebble Beach Company, and that the company was not issuing consent while the county finished its rules.
DMFPO resolution, September 2026
On September 14, 2026, the Del Monte Forest Property Owners unanimously adopted a resolution asking the Board of Supervisors to exclude the Del Monte Forest from Commercial Vacation Rental eligibility, as the county does for Big Sur, the Carmel Highlands, and specified Carmel Valley and Moss Landing districts.
The resolution is a request. As of October 28, 2026, the county ordinance still lists the Del Monte Forest cap of 57.
The county recommends talking to an attorney and the Pebble Beach Company’s Architectural Review Office, (831) 625-8455, before applying.
Monthly and long-term rentals
Rentals longer than 30 days are treated very differently.
Not a vacation rental
The county planning department doesn’t regulate rentals longer than 30 days, and the DMFPO describes rentals of 30 days or more as long-term residential rentals that aren’t subject to land use permitting.
Advertise it clearly
The county asks that listings for homes without a vacation rental license clearly show a 31-day minimum stay.
Who rents monthly
Monthly stays suit people relocating, building or remodeling nearby, and seasonal visitors.
Management
I co-own Peninsula Luxe, which manages luxury vacation, monthly, and long-term rentals on the Monterey Peninsula.
If rental income is part of your plan
Underwrite Pebble Beach homes on the rentals you can actually do.
Assume monthly, not nightly
Unless a home already holds the permits you need, and the Pebble Beach Company issue is resolved for that property, base your numbers on 30+ day rentals.
Ask for the paperwork
If a seller says a home is rented short-term, ask for the county license, the permit, TOT records, and anything from the Pebble Beach Company.
Read the deed
Have the title documents and CC&Rs reviewed. The county won’t enforce private restrictions, but the company can.
Total cost of ownership
Taxes, PBCSD fees, and ARB costs: Pebble Beach HOA and fees.
Buying a home in Pebble Beach · Carmel-by-the-Sea’s 30-day rule.
Buying in Pebble Beach with rental income in mind?
I’ll give you a realistic rental picture for a specific home, monthly and long-term, before you commit, and help you ask the right questions about permits and deed restrictions.
I represented the buyer of 1424 Oleada Road in Pebble Beach in 2025.
Pebble Beach homesPebble Beach market statsWhy work with me
Let’s run the rental numbers
Call or text 831-747-0310, or book a 30-minute call.
Before you rely on this
- Summarized from Monterey County’s vacation rental page and coastal ordinance, the DMFPO FAQ, and the DMFPO’s September 14, 2026 resolution, as of Oct 28, 2026. These rules are changing and in litigation; confirm the current status with the county before acting.
- This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to an attorney about deed restrictions and CC&Rs on a specific property.
Pebble Beach short-term rentals: quick questions
Are short-term rentals allowed in Pebble Beach?
Monterey County can license vacation rentals of 30 days or less in Pebble Beach’s eligible zoning districts, with unlimited non-hosted rentals capped at 57 permits in the Del Monte Forest. But the Pebble Beach Company has issued a blanket objection, and county permits don’t override its deed restrictions, so an owner may face civil liability even with county approval.
What counts as a short-term rental in Pebble Beach?
Under Monterey County rules, any rental of all or part of a home for 30 calendar days or less is a vacation rental.
How many vacation rentals are allowed in Pebble Beach?
Homestays and limited vacation rentals (up to three stays a year) have no cap. Commercial vacation rentals are capped at 57 coastal development permits at any one time in the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan area.
How much is a Monterey County vacation rental license?
The Vacation Rental Operation License fee is $965, or $1,152.40 in total, plus $301 if Environmental Health review applies. TOT, the business license, and any permit for a commercial rental are extra.
Can I rent my Pebble Beach home monthly?
Yes. Rentals longer than 30 days aren’t regulated by the county planning department, and the DMFPO treats 30+ day rentals as long-term residential rentals.
Can I rent out a Pebble Beach condo or ADU short term?
No. Under the county rules only detached single-family homes qualify. Condos, duplexes, ADUs, and junior ADUs can’t be vacation rentals.
What did the DMFPO resolution ask for?
Adopted September 14, 2026, it asks the Board of Supervisors to exclude the Del Monte Forest from Commercial Vacation Rental eligibility. It is a request, not a change in the law.
Updated October 2026 · Facts checked Oct 28, 2026 against Monterey County, the DMFPO, and the Monterey County coastal vacation rental ordinance
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