On December 17, 2019, the Oxnard City Council adopted ordinances regulating short term rentals (STRs) within the City. In Oxnard, a short term rental means the rental of a residential unit for less than 30 consecutive calendar days. The following is a complete guideline for Oxnard’s short term rental regulations so that anyone can be a responsible host when using platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and other similar services. This rundown should give you a good start in understanding your local laws.
Short Term Rental Units
A short term rental includes both home shares and vacation rentals.
Home share: A dwelling that is the principal residence of an owner who owns at least a 20% ownership interest in the subject parcel. In a home share, the owner can rent out any portion of the dwelling for less than 30 days. Moreover, the owner has to be physically present in the same residence.
A home share is not a home occupation. Use of dwelling for occasional home exchange is not a home share.
Vacation Rental: A dwelling or portion of a residence rented for less than 30 days when the owner is not physically present.
Under this section, a vacation rental is not a home occupation. Use of a dwelling for occasional home exchange is not a vacation rental.
Short Term Rental Permit
If a property owner wishes to operate an STR within the City, the City’s regulations require them first to get a permit. Once they obtain a Short Term Rental Permit, STR operators must maintain operational standards for compliance. They must also renew their permit every year. The following are the two categories of Short Term Rental Permit applications:
- Grandfathered Short Term Rental Permit: These “grandfathered” permits are for property owners who have consistently paid Transient Occupancy Taxes to the City since January 1, 2019. Moreover, these property owners have consistently complied with the City’s Short Term Rental regulations.
- Temporary Short Term Rental Permit: The Temporary permits are for property owners who operated an STR in Oxnard before March 25, 2019, but were not paying the City’s Transient Occupancy Taxes. This permit is non-renewable.
In future, the City will open the application window for regular STR permits once they complete the processing of the Grandfathered STR permits and Temporary STR permits. These are for Short Term Rentals that meet all of the City’s short term rental requirements.
Occupancy Limits
The following are maximum occupancy limits for short term rentals:
- Overnight occupancy at a vacation rental shall be limited to a maximum of two people per bedroom; occupying up to five bedrooms, plus two more people, for a maximum of ten people.
- The maximum number of bedrooms that should be available for rent in a home share is two. Moreover, only a maximum of five rental guests can stay overnight.
- In the case of home shares, the maximum number of persons allowed on the property at a time, including the owner(s), shall not exceed the maximum overnight occupancy plus six additional persons.
- Property owners may not rent vacation rentals or home shares to more than one group at a time. Furthermore, no more than one rental agreement shall be effective for any given time.
- An adult 21 years of age or older must be the primary occupant of a vacation rental. The primary occupant shall be legally accountable for the compliance of all occupants with the provisions of this Article.
Parking Requirements
Property owners must provide parking on the premises as follows:
- A minimum of one parking space in a studio or one-bedroom vacation rental.
- A minimum of two parking spaces for two to four-bedroom home shares and vacation rentals.
- For home shares and vacation rentals with five or more bedrooms, there must be a minimum of three parking spaces.
Noise and Nuisance
According to Chapter 7, sound regulations of the Oxnard City Code, no use or activity associated with a home share or vacation rental shall at any time cause unreasonable noise or disturbance. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., guests shall observe quiet hours. Furthermore, the sale, use, or possession of fireworks is illegal in the City of Oxnard. Likewise, the City has prohibited the usage of fireworks by any tenant or guest of an STR.
Waste and Refuse
Property owners must provide home shares or vacation rentals with adequate trash collection facilities and services at all times. Waste bins must not be visible to the public unless they are in proper containers for collection on the scheduled collection day(s).
Waste collection schedules and information on recycling and green waste sorting and disposal must be included in the rental agreement. Property owners must prominently display it inside the rental unit.
Owner/Property Manager Requirements
To ensure compliance with the requirements of this article, the following are owner/property manager requirements:
Home Share: A home share owner must be present onsite between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and within 25 miles of the property at all times, when it is rented out.
Vacation Rental: A vacation rental shall have one or two designated property managers at all times when it is rented out, one of whom must be available at all times and within 25 miles of the property. An owner may serve as one of the property managers.
Each application submitted under this article must include the name, address, and telephone number(s) of the property manager(s) that guests can reach at all times. Applications must also include the property manager’s signature. Any requested change to a designated property manager must be made in writing to the community development director or designee.
Business License and Transient Occupancy Tax
The owner of a vacation rental or home share must obtain and maintain a valid City Business License, pay annual business taxes on time evidenced by a Business Tax Certificate. They must also obtain a valid city Transient Occupancy Tax registration certificate, as well as pay all required city transient occupancy taxes on time.
Insurance
The owner must have a commercial/business general liability insurance policy with a minimum coverage limit of 1,000,000 per occurrence for personal injury or property damage claims. Each permit application under this item must include proof of insurance coverage, which must be accessible to the community development director or designee upon request.
Other Short Term Rental Regulations
As a responsible host, you must comprehend and abide by other vacation rental rules and regulations that bind you. These include leases, community rules, HOA rules, or other guidelines set up by tenant associations. Feel free to reach out to your landlord, housing authority, or community council to find out more. To get more information about other short term rental regulations, you can visit Oxnards’s official website or contact us.