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 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 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 StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| 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 Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista, so these counts are not Chula Vista-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Chula Vista 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 | 44.3% |
Home Value Trends (Chula Vista)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista — 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
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 StaySTRA-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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