Nomad Property Management manages vacation rentals in San Diego, with homes near Mission Bay and in La Mesa. We handle listings, pricing, guests, cleaning and upkeep, and we handle each home's short-term rental license and lodging tax filing. San Diego's rules are detailed, and we'd rather explain them plainly than leave owners guessing.
The City of San Diego licenses every short-term rental by tier (checked October 29, 2026 on the city's official site):
| Tier | What it covers | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Rented 20 days a year or less | No cap |
| Tier 2 | Home sharing: part of the home, host lives on site | No cap |
| Tier 3 | Whole home, outside Mission Beach | 1% of the city's housing units; 4,854 issued and 807 remaining as of the city's October 23, 2026 update |
| Tier 4 | Whole home, in Mission Beach | 30% of Mission Beach housing units; none remaining and applications closed |
Whole-home licenses (Tiers 3 and 4) come with a two-night minimum stay, at least 90 rental days a year and quarterly reporting. A host can hold only one license, and the host must be a person rather than a company; a property manager can serve as the local contact, who must respond within one hour. Tier 3 and 4 licenses cost a $41 application fee plus a $1,129 license fee and last two years. Operators also need a transient occupancy tax certificate and the city's rental unit business tax certificate.
Taxes. Since May 1, 2025, San Diego's transient occupancy tax is 11.75%, 12.75% or 13.75%, depending on which part of the city the home is in. Sources: City of San Diego short-term residential occupancy and City of San Diego transient occupancy tax.
La Mesa. La Mesa is a separate city with its own rules. The city says its transient occupancy tax doesn't apply to short-term rentals and no city business license is required for them; the city council has asked staff to study rules, so this may change. Source: City of La Mesa short-term rentals.
What this means for owners: in the City of San Diego, a whole-home license is limited and personal to the host. If you own more than one home, or hold the property in a company, read the license rules carefully before you plan on renting.
Summer is San Diego's peak, when beach and bay neighborhoods book early and weekly stays are common. The mild climate keeps demand steady the rest of the year, with spring break, holiday weeks, conventions and big events adding busy weekends. Inland homes such as those in La Mesa often draw families visiting relatives and travelers who want more space for the price.
We run the whole rental for you, so you can own a vacation home without a second job:
We're owner-operators, not a call center. We take on a small number of homes in each market and treat each one like it's our own.
We manage 4 rentals here:
Together they have 201 Airbnb reviews with an average rating of 4.91 out of 5 (each is rated 4.91 or 4.92). Source: public Airbnb listing pages, checked October 29, 2026.
Our pricing depends on the home, so we share it with your free, no-obligation income projection. Tell us about your property at https://nomadequity.com/projection and you'll get the projection and our pricing for it together.
It depends on how you rent. Tier 1 covers renting 20 days a year or less, Tier 2 covers home sharing while you live on site, Tier 3 covers whole-home rentals outside Mission Beach, and Tier 4 covers whole-home rentals in Mission Beach. Tiers 3 and 4 are capped. We handle the license paperwork and renewals for the homes we manage. We checked the city's rules on October 29, 2026.
Outside Mission Beach, possibly: the city's October 23, 2026 update showed 807 Tier 3 licenses remaining. In Mission Beach, no: Tier 4 has no licenses remaining and applications are closed. A host may hold only one license, and whole-home licenses require at least 90 rental days a year.
Since May 1, 2025, the City of San Diego's transient occupancy tax is 11.75%, 12.75% or 13.75%, depending on where the home is. Guests pay it on top of rent, and operators need a city tax certificate. La Mesa says its transient occupancy tax doesn't apply to short-term rentals. We collect and file it for the homes we manage.
Yes, whether you're with another manager now or managing the home yourself. We plan the handover with you: listings, calendars and future bookings, cleaning and maintenance, and the permit and tax accounts tied to your home. Guests who have already booked should still get the stay they paid for.
It depends on the home: location, size, amenities, the permit it holds, and how many nights you keep for yourself. We don't quote a number until we've looked at your property. Request a free, no-obligation projection at https://nomadequity.com/projection and we'll send an estimate built for your home, along with our pricing for it.
Own a home near Mission Bay, elsewhere in San Diego or in La Mesa? Tell us about it and we'll build a free, no-obligation projection for your property, with our pricing and which license tier fits it.
Request your free, no-obligation projection: nomadequity.com/projection
Nomad Property Management (Nomad Equity LLC) · 260 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660 · (530) 539-4271
Rules and tax rates last checked October 29, 2026. Local rules change often; always confirm with the city or county before you rent.