Chula Vista, California Short-Term Rental Market
Chula Vista STRs posted $299/night ADR at 65.2% occupancy in April 2026, up 9.6% in revenue year-over-year.
Quick Answer: Chula Vista, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 76%. average monthly revenue is $7,597. average daily rate is $382. the top operator is Evolve with 266 listings. market score is 65/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the San Diego regional market, which includes Chula Vista. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Chula Vista.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Chula Vista is San Diego County’s second-largest city, with a population of 278,546, sitting roughly 7 miles north of the Mexican border and within easy reach of downtown San Diego’s tourism infrastructure. The short-term rental market reflects that geographic advantage: as of April 2026, operators averaged $299/night in daily rate across an active supply base dominated by entire-place listings.
Occupancy reached 65.2% in April 2026, a gain of 8.3 percentage points year-over-year. Average daily rate came in at $299, essentially flat compared to the prior year (-0.7%), while revenue per available room (RevPAR) landed at $195. Monthly revenue averaged $5,328 for the period.
The listing mix skews heavily toward entire-place rentals, which account for the large majority of supply alongside a smaller private-room segment. By bedroom count, one-bedroom units represent the largest share of the market, followed by two-bedroom and three-bedroom configurations, with four- and five-bedroom properties rounding out the supply. The market scores 65.4 out of 100 overall, with particularly strong marks for rental demand (79.3) and seasonality consistency (77.9).
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56% | $202 | $3,105 |
| Feb | 65% | $210 | $3,322 |
| Mar | 69% | $246 | $4,495 |
| Apr | 62% | $243 | $4,074 |
| May | 64% | $257 | $4,260 |
| Jun | 74% | $308 | $5,753 |
| Jul | 77% | $312 | $6,123 |
| Aug | 68% | $291 | $5,370 |
| Sep | 61% | $245 | $4,007 |
| Oct | 61% | $236 | $3,937 |
| Nov | 58% | $224 | $3,397 |
| Dec | 57% | $230 | $3,544 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Chula Vista
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 266 | 10,486 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Surf Style Vacation Homes | 225 | 10,113 | ★ 4.77 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 179 | 8,447 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Nxt Vacation Rental Management | 165 | 3,059 | ★ 4.90 |
| 5 | San Diego Rentals | 162 | 153 | ★ 4.40 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Chula Vista?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 11,274 |
| 2 bed | 6,946 |
| 3 bed | 4,599 |
| 4 bed | 2,457 |
| 5 bed | 1,667 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $411 |
| Luxury | $722 |
| Professionally Managed | $580 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $6,253 |
| Entire Place | $8,166 |
| House | $8,599 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 49.4% |
| vrbo | 6.2% |
| both | 44.3% |
Investment Analysis
Chula Vista’s revenue trajectory strengthened in 2024 and 2025. Annual average revenue climbed from $4,771 in 2023 to $5,195 in 2024 and $5,259 in 2025, a two-year gain of roughly 10%. The April 2026 reading of $5,328 monthly revenue suggests that momentum is continuing into 2026.
Tier differentiation is significant. Entire-home listings averaged $320/night in April 2026 versus the market-wide $299 average. Luxury-tier properties commanded $576/night, while professionally managed listings averaged $436/night, both reflecting meaningful premiums for quality and positioning.
No housing value data was available for this market at the time of publication, so a gross-yield calculation cannot be provided. Prospective investors should source current Chula Vista home prices independently before modeling returns. What the data does show is strong and growing demand: occupancy at 65.2% in April (a historically shoulder month for the market) and an investability score of 53.5 out of 100, which reflects the regulatory environment’s constraints on speculative STR investment alongside the solid demand fundamentals.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Chula Vista guests book an average of 41 days in advance as of April 2026, a lead time that sits in a middle range for Southern California markets. This gives operators roughly six weeks of forward visibility into near-term occupancy, enough time to make meaningful dynamic pricing adjustments before a stay arrives.
Average length of stay is 4.4 nights. That figure points to a guest mix weighted toward weekend-plus and short-week stays rather than weekly or extended stays. A 4.4-night average means operators should expect roughly 6 to 7 checkout-to-check-in cycles per month, which affects cleaning costs, supply turnover, and minimum-stay settings.
For pricing strategy, the 41-day lead time suggests that last-minute discounting windows open roughly 2 to 3 weeks before the stay date. Operators who set aggressive minimum rates and hold them through the 14-day window can often capture higher rates from late-booking guests without sacrificing much occupancy.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Chula Vista regulates short-term rentals under Municipal Code Chapter 5.68, which took effect February 1, 2023, with active enforcement beginning July 1, 2023. The framework is strict and has meaningful implications for who can legally operate.
Operators must obtain three separate approvals: a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Certificate, a Chula Vista Business License, and a Short-Term Rental Permit ($250 application fee, $175 annual renewal). Only Chula Vista residents whose primary residence (occupied at least 275 days per year) is within the city may hold a permit. Each resident is capped at two STRs: their primary residence plus one non-primary property.
For whole-home rentals of a primary residence, a 90-night annual cap applies. Partial-home rentals of a primary residence and whole-home rentals of a non-primary residence carry no annual night cap. Maximum occupancy is 10 guests. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. A 10% Transient Occupancy Tax applies to the listing price, cleaning fees, and other non-refundable charges on stays of 30 nights or fewer; remittance runs through the Deckard STR portal.
Violations carry daily fines of $100 to $2,000. Enforcement is classified as strict. Investors who are not Chula Vista residents cannot obtain a permit under the current rules.
Market Comparison
Against U.S. STR benchmarks (roughly 55% median occupancy, $220 median ADR nationally), Chula Vista outperforms on both dimensions. The market’s April 2026 occupancy of 65.2% is approximately 10 percentage points above the national median, and ADR of $299 is roughly 36% above the national figure, consistent with Southern California’s premium pricing environment.
The professional management segment is well-developed in Chula Vista. Evolve leads the market with 266 listings and 10,486 reviews (4.73 average rating). Surf Style Vacation Homes operates 225 listings with 10,113 reviews (4.77 rating). Vacasa holds 179 listings (4.62 rating), followed by Nxt Vacation Rental Management at 165 listings (4.90 rating) and San Diego Rentals at 162 listings. The presence of multiple large operators indicates a competitive professional management market, which may compress margins for self-managed listings competing against professionally marketed inventory.
The market’s revenue growth score of 71.5 and rental demand score of 79.3 position it above average relative to other Apivex-tracked markets, while the investability score of 53.5 reflects the regulatory environment’s constraints on non-resident operators.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chula Vista, California
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