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Short Term Vacation Rental Checklist
Short Term Vacation Rental Program
The City of Petaluma’s short term vacation rental program--which allows residential property to
be rented for short term stays of less than 30 days--went into effect on October 14, 2015. The
newly established program includes requirements, limitations, and complaint procedures for
operating a short-term vacation rental property within the City.
Starting January 1, 2016, the City will begin enforcing the following requirements for all short
term vacation rentals:
Required permits -- The following permits and licenses are required for all short term
vacation rental including both hosted and non-hosted rentals:
1. A valid Short Term Vacation Rental Permit ($334.63)
2. City of Petaluma Business License ($46)
3. Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate (10% of revenue)
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) – A TOT (currently 10 percent of rental revenue) must
be paid to the City of Petaluma, through the Finance Department using a special Remittance
Form on a monthly basis by the property owner or manager. TOT monies help to fund the
additional City services needs—everything from emergency services to street use—generated
by tourists and overnight guests to Petaluma.
Limits on Number of Guests and Length of Stay – The number of guests in a short
term vacation rental is limited to 2 guests per bedroom plus an additional 2 overnight guests.
The maximum length of stay is 29 days.
Parking Requirements – Existing residential parking requirements (3 onsite parking
spaces) must be provided on-site for the residential unit that is hosting the short term vacation
rental. Compliance with existing residential parking requirements minimizes neighborhood
impacts to the surrounding area. No additional parking is required for the short term vacation
rental. There are possible exceptions to this rule that you can discuss with Planning Division
staff.
Code of Conduct – The City’s established neighborhood preservation ordinances applies to
all short term rental properties and their guests. Hosts are encouraged to inform renters of
these ordinances and must be available to address violation of these ordinances at all times
during short term rental stays. Hosts with repeated violations will have their Permits revoked.
Program Limitations – The short term vacation rental program will sunset at the end of
2018 unless it is extended by the City Council. The program could also be rescinded by an
earlier City Council action if determined that the program is causing adverse impacts on
neighborhoods. In either instance, existing permits would be valid through the end of the
calendar year in which it was issued. Hosts/property owners should be aware of this and plan
accordingly.