At that link, you'll see "Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department requires Homeowners wishing to pursue short term residential rentals (7-30

At that link, you'll see "Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department requires Homeowners wishing to pursue short term residential rentals (7-30 days) to obtain an Administrative Permit." In other words, you can't just pay the tax. On http://www.mcar.com/montereycounty.html http://www.mcar.com/montereycounty.html, we find: County of Monterey Non-Coastal: Administrative permit required for rentals less than 30 days in R-1 zoning district Minimum rental period 7 days Zoning Ordinance 21.64.280 Coastal: Contact: Planning and Building Inspection Department (831) 883-7500 I'd guess that the county is easier to deal with on this than the various cities (where the hotels and the bulk of the housing are).