Coronado Short-Term Rental Rules: What Owners Can and Can't Do

In Coronado's residential zones, you cannot rent a home, a unit or a room for 25 consecutive calendar days or less. The Coronado Municipal Code calls that a "transient rental" and prohibits it (CMC § 86.78.060), so the shortest lawful stay is 26 consecutive days. On top of the city rule, an HOA may ban rentals of 30 days or less, and an ADU or JADU must be rented for longer than 30 days under state law, with Coronado's own code setting a longer minimum that is being amended effective November 5, 2026.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm the details for your situation with a California attorney or tax professional. Rules are stated from the code text as of October 19, 2026.

Key takeaways

• Stays of 25 consecutive calendar days or less are prohibited in every residential zone in Coronado, for whole homes and for rooms (CMC §§ 86.78.020, 86.78.060).
• The code's only exceptions are units in R-4 Zone motels and lodging houses within the "P" Overlay Zone (CMC § 86.78.060(B)).
• A violation is an infraction, each day is a separate offense, and an agent who causes a violation can be liable too (CMC § 86.54.330).
• ADUs and JADUs: state law requires rentals longer than 30 days; Coronado's codified rule has been six consecutive months or more, and the city's ADU amendment (Ord. 2026-08) takes effect November 5, 2026.
• An HOA may prohibit rentals of 30 days or less (Civ. Code § 4741(c)). Where both rules apply, follow the stricter one.
• The City of San Diego's short-term rental and tenant protection rules do not apply in Coronado, which is its own city.

The rule: no stays of 25 days or less

Three provisions of CMC Chapter 86.78 (opens in a new tab) work together:

• Transient occupancy (§ 86.78.020) is "the right to use, occupy or possess, or the use, occupancy, or possession of, a dwelling unit or a habitable unit for a period of 25 consecutive calendar days or less."
• Transient rental (§ 86.78.030) is "the renting, letting, subletting, leasing or subleasing" of a dwelling unit or habitable unit for transient occupancy.
• The prohibition (§ 86.78.060(A)): "No dwelling or habitable unit in any Residential Zone (except as specified in subsection B of this section) shall be used as a transient rental."

A "dwelling unit" has a kitchen or cooking facility; a "habitable unit" is one or more connected habitable rooms without one (CMC §§ 86.04.285, 86.04.337). Because the ban covers both, renting a bedroom for a weekend is prohibited just like renting the whole house. Subletting is covered too, so say in your lease that the tenant may not re-rent for short stays.

Which zones it covers

The ban applies in "any Residential Zone." Coronado's residential zones include the single-family zones (R-1A and its subzones, and R-1B), the multiple-family zones (R-3, R-4, R-5), R-PCD and R-SCD (CMC § 86.06.010). Non-residential zones, such as H-M (Hotel-Motel), are not reached by the prohibition. Don't assume any particular building or complex is outside a residential zone; confirm a parcel's zoning with the city before relying on it.

The two exceptions

CMC § 86.78.060(B) is the only exception in the chapter: "Dwelling or habitable units within R-4 Zone motels, or that constitute lodging houses within the 'P' Overlay Zone may be utilized as transient rentals."

Time-shares are banned in all zones

Separately, CMC § 86.78.070 bars establishing or converting any dwelling unit or habitable unit for time-share use, in all zones, and bars advertising an accommodation created in violation of the section (Ord. 2025-04).

What's allowed, by rental length

A lawful stay of 26 days or more is still a tenancy under California law. The one-month deposit cap, habitability rules and required notices apply whether the home is furnished or not. The long-term vs. furnished rentals guide compares the options, and leasing services explains how a standard lease is placed.

ADU and JADU rental rules

Coronado's code. CMC § 86.56.105(B)(10) says "Junior and accessory dwelling units shall only be used for rentals of terms of six consecutive months or more," and the recorded JADU covenant must prohibit renting the JADU for fewer than six consecutive months. The code also says that where any provision conflicts with state law, state law controls (§ 86.56.105(G)).

State law. Under Gov. Code § 66323(e) (opens in a new tab), a local agency shall require that a rental of an ADU created under that section be "for a term longer than 30 days" (as amended effective January 1, 2026). Gov. Code § 66333(g) says the same for JADUs, and Gov. Code § 66315 says no additional standards may be imposed beyond those in § 66314, "except that a local agency may require that the property may be used for rentals of terms 30 days or longer."

The conflict, and what's changing. In a letter dated December 10, 2025, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) found Coronado's six-month term non-compliant and said the city must amend the ordinance to leave owners free to rent an ADU or JADU subject only to a 30-day minimum. The city adopted an ADU amendment, Ordinance No. 2026-08 (dated October 6, 2026), which amends parts of § 86.56.105 and takes effect November 5, 2026. The text of the new ordinance was not available when this guide was written, so check the current version of CMC § 86.56.105 before you sign an ADU lease shorter than six months.

An ADU or JADU rented for six months or more meets both the city's codified rule and state law; anything shorter than 31 days does not meet state law.

SB 9 two-unit developments may only be rented for terms longer than 30 days (CMC § 86.56.180). For building an ADU, see building an ADU to rent in Coronado.

Guest houses and rooms

Separately, accessory buildings may not be rented independently of the main building, and a lease of part of a lot must include all buildings and habitable units on it, with a narrow exception for an owner who lives in the home and rents a room in it (CMC § 86.56.100(H)). A permitted ADU is the route for a separate rental unit.

HOA rules on short stays

California's Davis-Stirling Act limits how far an association can restrict renting, but it lets associations ban short stays:

• An association may prohibit "transient or short-term rental of a separate property interest for a period of 30 days or less" (Civ. Code § 4741(c)).
• It may not prohibit, effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict renting, and it may not cap rentals at less than 25% of separate interests (§ 4741(a), (b)).
• Before you rent, you must give the association verification of the date you acquired title and the tenant's name and contact information (§ 4740(c)).

Follow whichever rule is stricter, and read your CC&Rs before you set a minimum stay. Renting a Coronado Shores or Cays home has a checklist of what to request from the HOA.

Penalties and enforcement

As of October 2026, Coronado's zoning enforcement provisions say:

• Any use of land, a building or premises contrary to the zoning title is "unlawful and a public nuisance," and the City Attorney is directed to take abatement and injunction proceedings. Remedies are cumulative (CMC § 86.54.320).
• Anyone who violates or causes a violation, "whether as principal, agent, employee, employer or otherwise," is guilty of an infraction, and "each separate day or any portion thereof" is a separate offense (CMC § 86.54.330 (opens in a new tab)).
• The Director of Community Development enforces the zoning title (CMC § 86.54.310).

The "agent" language matters: a manager or listing agent who arranges an unlawful short stay can be exposed along with the owner.

Taxes, licenses and San Diego rules

Transient occupancy tax. Coronado's transient occupancy tax (CMC Chapter 16.12, 10 percent of rent) applies to occupancy of 25 consecutive days or less, so a lawful residential rental of 26 days or more falls outside it. The Coronado Tourism Improvement District assessments (CMC Chapter 16.14) apply only to hotels of 90 rooms or more within the district, not to residential landlords.

Business certificate. An owner renting two or fewer residential dwelling units does not need a Coronado business certificate (CMC §§ 13.10.030(C), 13.10.080(A)). Owners renting three or more residential units fall under the business certificate rules.

City of San Diego rules don't apply. The City of San Diego's ordinances, including its Residential Tenant Protections (San Diego Municipal Code §§ 98.0701 and following), are part of the San Diego Municipal Code. Coronado is a separate incorporated city, so those ordinances govern property in the City of San Diego, not Coronado.

More owner topics are in the Coronado Rental Guide.

To check a specific situation, try the rental length rule checker: pick what you are renting, for how long, and whether there is an HOA.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum rental period in Coronado?

In residential zones, 26 consecutive days. CMC § 86.78.060 prohibits transient rentals, and § 86.78.020 defines transient occupancy as 25 consecutive calendar days or less. An HOA may set a stricter rule for stays of 30 days or less, and ADUs and JADUs have longer minimums.

Can I rent a room in my Coronado home on a short-term rental site?

Not for 25 consecutive days or less. The prohibition covers "habitable units," which include rooms without a kitchen, so short stays in a room are banned the same way as whole-home short stays. Longer room rentals are limited to homes the owner lives in, under CMC § 86.56.100(H).

Can I rent my Coronado ADU for 30 days?

No. State law requires an ADU or JADU rental to be for a term longer than 30 days. Coronado's codified rule has been six consecutive months or more, and the city's ADU amendment, Ordinance 2026-08, takes effect November 5, 2026. Check the current code before signing anything shorter than six months.

What is the penalty for an illegal short-term rental in Coronado?

A violation of the zoning code is an infraction under CMC § 86.54.330, and each day, or any portion of a day, is a separate offense. The use is also declared a public nuisance, and the City Attorney is directed to pursue abatement and injunctions (CMC § 86.54.320). Agents who cause a violation can be liable too.

Do San Diego's short-term rental rules apply in Coronado?

No. Those are City of San Diego rules in the San Diego Municipal Code. Coronado is its own city, and its own code, including the 25-day prohibition in CMC Chapter 86.78, governs rentals there.

Next step: choose a rental plan that fits the rules

If the city's minimum stay rules out what you had in mind, the next question is which lawful rental type earns the most for your home. McKee Properties has managed rentals from its Coronado office since 1989. A free Coronado rental analysis gives you a rent estimate and the reasoning behind it.