Los Osos, California Short-Term Rental Market
Los Osos, CA STRs averaged 53.3% occupancy and $355/night in April 2026 across approximately 4,450 active listings near Montana de Oro State Park.
Quick Answer: Los Osos, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the San Luis Obispo market area is 60%. average monthly revenue in the San Luis Obispo market area is $6,949. average daily rate in the San Luis Obispo market area is $438. the top operator in the San Luis Obispo market area is Seven Sisters Vacation Rentals with 141 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the San Luis Obispo regional market, which includes Los Osos. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Los Osos.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Los Osos, California short-term rental market comprised approximately 4,450 active listings as of April 2026, serving this small unincorporated coastal community of roughly 14,166 residents on San Luis Obispo County’s Central Coast. The market is overwhelmingly entire-place focused, with 4,176 entire-place listings (93.8% of tracked listings), 273 private rooms, and 1 shared room. One-bedroom units are most common with 1,498 listings, followed by three-bedroom (1,110), two-bedroom (1,097), four-bedroom (464), and five-plus bedroom (277) units.
Channel distribution shows strong dual-listing rates. Among tracked listings, 1,802 are Airbnb-only, 2,308 appear on both platforms, and 340 are VRBO-only. The dual-listing rate of 51.9% and VRBO’s combined reach of 59.5% reflect a vacation-destination visitor profile where VRBO captures a substantial share of the market.
In April 2026, occupancy was 53.3% and the average daily rate was $354.90, producing a RevPAR of $189.29. Year-over-year in April, occupancy fell 0.45%, ADR rose 2.62%, and revenue grew 3.92%, indicating healthy rate-led growth. The 2025 full-year average provides the complete baseline: $351 ADR at 51.0% occupancy, producing approximately $4,928 in average monthly revenue per active listing.
Market scores are strong, led by an outstanding revenue growth score of 89.2 out of 100. The total score is 74.9, with rental demand at 71.7, regulation at 70.7, and seasonality at 71.3. Investability scores 57.2, reflecting the strict density controls that limit new permit issuance.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 38% |
| Feb | 47% |
| Mar | 50% |
| Apr | 54% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 61% |
| Jul | 68% |
| Aug | 60% |
| Sep | 53% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 51% |
| Dec | 46% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Los Osos are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in San Luis Obispo market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the San Luis Obispo market as a whole, which includes Los Osos, so these counts are not Los Osos-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seven Sisters Vacation Rentals | 141 | 8,919 | ★ 4.81 |
| 2 | Paso Robles Vacation Rentals | 132 | 16,301 | ★ 4.88 |
| 3 | Beach Bum Holiday Rentals | 114 | 4,017 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | Scenic Coast Property Management | 88 | 5,427 | ★ 4.78 |
| 5 | Coastal Vacation Rentals & Property Management | 86 | 4,846 | ★ 4.68 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Los Osos?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Los Osos 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 | 40.5% |
| vrbo | 7.6% |
| both | 51.9% |
Home Value Trends (Los Osos)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Los Osos 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 Los Osos — 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
Los Osos is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County and is subject to SLO County’s vacation rental ordinance with Los Osos-specific density overlays that are among the most restrictive in the county.
To operate legally, an owner must obtain: (1) a Minor Use Permit and vacation rental zoning clearance from SLO County Planning and Building, approximately $556 for the initial application, and (2) a County Business License (approximately $50/year) with a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate.
Guests pay a 10.5% combined tax on rental amounts: 9% county TOT plus a 1.5% Tourism Marketing District assessment. As of January 2026, a new annual STR review fee was added to the program (separate from the business license renewal); the exact dollar amount was not published in available primary sources.
Los Osos-specific density rules are strict: (1) Vacation rentals must be separated by a minimum of 9 lots or a 500-foot radius, whichever is greater; (2) hard cap of 1 vacation rental per 100 single-family homes per neighborhood; (3) only 1 vacation rental per owner is allowed; (4) corporate and partnership ownership is prohibited; (5) vacation rentals are banned in multi-family dwellings and mobile home parks; (6) permits void automatically upon sale of the property.
Owner-occupancy is not required. Enforcement is assessed as strict.
Practical consequence for investors: the density caps make new permits difficult to obtain in most neighborhoods. Investors should verify permit availability with SLO County Planning (805-781-5600) before purchasing any property. An existing permitted property carries a regulatory premium on acquisition because the permit does not transfer with a sale.
Market Comparison
Los Osos’s 51.0% annual average occupancy (2025) sits near the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%. However, its 2025 annual ADR of $351 is approximately 60% above the U.S. median ADR of $220, positioning it as a premium-priced coastal California market. The revenue growth score of 89.2 is among the highest in the data set for any market, reflecting sustained long-run ADR appreciation from $253 in 2017 to $351 in 2025.
The RevPAR of $189.29 in April 2026 is among the highest in this wave of content generation, reflecting the combination of premium ADR and moderate occupancy in a supply-constrained market.
The operator landscape in Los Osos is locally specialized and moderately concentrated. The top five property managers collectively hold 561 listings, representing approximately 12.6% of the 4,450 total active listings. Seven Sisters Vacation Rentals leads with 141 listings and a 4.81 rating across 8,919 reviews. Paso Robles Vacation Rentals follows with 132 listings and an exceptional 4.88 rating across 16,301 reviews. Beach Bum Holiday Rentals holds 114 listings at a 4.68 rating. Scenic Coast Property Management operates 88 listings at a 4.78 rating.
All five top operators are locally or regionally specialized, with no national platform operators (Vacasa, Evolve) in the top five. This reflects a market where local expertise and established permit relationships are competitive advantages, consistent with the strict local density controls.
Frequently Asked Questions About Los Osos, California
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