Carlsbad, California Short-Term Rental Market
Carlsbad STRs averaged $299/night at 65.3% occupancy in April 2026, with annual revenue up 9.75% year over year.
Quick Answer: Carlsbad, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the San Diego market area is 76%. average monthly revenue in the San Diego market area is $7,597. average daily rate in the San Diego market area is $382. the top operator in the San Diego market area is Evolve with 265 listings. market score is 65/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the San Diego regional market, which includes Carlsbad. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Carlsbad.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Carlsbad’s short-term rental market covers a large coastal footprint with approximately 26,920 active listings tracked across channels. The market skews heavily toward entire-place rentals: 24,240 listings (90% of the total) are entire-place units, with 2,658 private rooms and just 22 shared rooms rounding out the mix. Bedroom distribution shows 1-bedroom units leading at 11,264 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (6,920), 3-bedroom (4,574), 4-bedroom (2,454), and 5-bedroom (1,666). The Airbnb platform dominates with 13,303 Airbnb-exclusive listings plus 11,943 dual-listed on both Airbnb and VRBO, while 1,674 list exclusively on VRBO.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $299, an occupancy rate of 65.3%, and RevPAR of $195.55. Average monthly revenue per active listing came in at $5,335. Year over year, occupancy climbed 8.43 percentage points while ADR dipped slightly (-0.71%), resulting in a net revenue gain of 9.75%. The market scores a total investability composite of 65.1 out of 100, with rental demand (79.3) and seasonality resilience (77.9) as the two strongest sub-scores.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 56% |
| Feb | 65% |
| Mar | 69% |
| Apr | 62% |
| May | 64% |
| Jun | 74% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 68% |
| Sep | 61% |
| Oct | 61% |
| Nov | 58% |
| Dec | 57% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Carlsbad are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in San Diego market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the San Diego market as a whole, which includes Carlsbad, so these counts are not Carlsbad-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 265 | 10,436 | ★ 4.74 |
| 2 | Surf Style Vacation Homes | 223 | 10,070 | ★ 4.77 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 176 | 8,268 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Nxt Vacation Rental Management | 164 | 3,008 | ★ 4.90 |
| 5 | San Diego Rentals | 162 | 153 | ★ 4.40 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Carlsbad?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Carlsbad are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 49.4% |
| vrbo | 6.2% |
| both | 44.4% |
Home Value Trends (Carlsbad)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Carlsbad are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Carlsbad — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Carlsbad permits short-term rentals (defined as stays under 30 consecutive nights) only within two specific geographic zones: the California Coastal Zone and the La Costa Resort and Spa Master Plan area. Properties outside these zones are prohibited from operating as STRs under CMC Chapter 5.60. There is no owner-occupancy or primary residence requirement, so investors can operate non-hosted, whole-home rentals.
Operators must obtain an annual Short-Term Vacation Rental permit ($225 per year, effective September 1, 2024, down from the prior $381) from the Community Development Department, plus a separate city business license. The permit number must be posted on the rental exterior and displayed in all listings. A 24/7 local contact responding within 45 minutes is required. A three-strike revocation rule applies to repeat violations.
The combined transient occupancy tax is 12% (10% base TOT plus a 2% Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District assessment), paid directly to the city. ADUs approved on or after January 1, 2020 are ineligible for STVR permits under California state law. Enforcement severity is rated strict. No maximum nights-per-year cap is published for this permit type.
Market Comparison
Carlsbad’s April 2026 occupancy of 65.3% sits roughly 10 percentage points above the U.S. STR median (approximately 55%), reflecting strong coastal demand. Its $299 ADR compares favorably to the national median of around $220, placing Carlsbad well above average on nightly rate. RevPAR of $195.55 reflects a high-performing coastal market.
The market scores 65.1 overall on the composite investability index, with particularly strong rental demand (79.3) and seasonality scores (77.9), but a below-average investability sub-score (53.4), likely weighted down by the high home values compressing yield. The regulation score of 64.4 reflects the geographic permit restriction, which limits supply but creates regulatory risk for operators outside the permitted zones.
Among the top operators, Evolve leads with 265 listings and 10,436 reviews at a 4.74 average rating. Surf Style Vacation Homes holds second place at 223 listings and 10,070 reviews at 4.77. Vacasa manages 176 listings (4.62 rating), Nxt Vacation Rental Management operates 164 listings (4.90 rating), and San Diego Rentals rounds out the top five with 162 listings. The top 5 operators account for approximately 990 listings, roughly 3.7% of the total market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carlsbad, California
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