Short-Term or Long-Term Rental?
See how projected annual income from a vacation rental compares to a traditional 12-month lease for your San Diego property.
Short-Term vs Long-Term Rental Calculator
Compare projected annual income from a traditional lease versus a vacation rental for your San Diego property.
At these numbers, STR pulls ahead by $1,944 per year, but the trade-off is real: more turnovers, more communication, more cleaning fees, and stricter San Diego permit rules. Worth it if you have a manager handling logistics.
Estimates only. San Diego’s short-term rental ordinances cap whole-home STR licenses in coastal zones and may require Tier 4 permits. Actual income depends on permitting, seasonality, marketing, and management approach. We do not factor in furniture investment or financing costs.
Short-term rentals can out-earn a traditional lease, but San Diego’s permit rules are strict, especially in coastal zones, and the workload is real: turnovers, cleaning, guest communication, and dynamic pricing. A long-term lease trades some upside for stability and far less hands-on management.
Red House manages both long-term and qualifying short-term rentals across San Diego. We can pull comparable nightly rates and occupancy for your neighborhood and tell you which strategy actually pencils out.