Short-Term Rentals in Vacaville, CA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Vacaville or are thinking about moving there, short-term rentals are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Vacaville has 4 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Taxes & Fees

Vacaville taxes short-term rentals under the same 8 percent transient occupancy tax that applies to hotels, but the city collects it through facilitators. Under Vacaville Municipal Code Section 3.16.080, the City has invoked the state's Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025, requiring platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo to register, report listing addresses, and remit tax directly to the Tax Administrator on behalf of hosts.

Key details: Tax rate: 8% of rent, same as hotels. Governing section: VMC § 3.16.080. Address reporting: Within 30 days of Tax Administrator's request. Reporting frequency: At least quarterly. Record retention: 3 years of transaction records.

A facilitator that skips a required quarterly report is subject to an administrative fine under Government Code Section 53069.4, and any facilitator that collects rent but fails to remit the 8 percent tax faces the same penalty ladder that applies to hotel operators: a 10 percent penalty for an initial late remittance, another 10 percent after 30 more days of delinquency, and 1.5 percent monthly interest until paid, all under Section 3.16.100.

Host Platform Liability

When Airbnb, Vrbo, or another booking platform collects a guest's rent in Vacaville, Vacaville Municipal Code Section 3.16.080(C) makes the platform responsible for collecting and remitting the 8 percent transient occupancy tax. The host's own duty to remit is satisfied only to the extent the facilitator actually pays; hosts remain liable for any shortfall.

Key details: Liability rule: Facilitator remits; host liable for any shortfall. Governing section: VMC § 3.16.080(C). Remittance schedule: Same monthly schedule as hotel operators. Record retention: 3 years, § 3.16.130(C). Facilitator penalty: Same tiered penalties as operators, § 3.16.100(G).

A facilitator that is supposed to collect and remit tax but fails to do so faces the same penalty structure as a delinquent hotel operator: a 10 percent penalty for the first month, an added 10 percent after 30 days (capped at 20 percent combined), 1.5 percent monthly interest, and a 25 percent fraud penalty where nonpayment is intentional, all under Section 3.16.100(A)-(C) and (G). The Tax Administrator can also audit the facilitator's books under Section 3.16.140 to confirm compliance.

Occupancy Limits

Vacaville has not codified an STR-specific occupancy cap (such as a flat 'two persons per bedroom plus two' rule or a 10-person maximum) because short-term rentals are not authorized in residential zones. For lawful lodging uses (hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns in commercial/mixed-use districts), occupancy is set by the California Building Code occupant-load tables for the Group R-1 occupancy classification as adopted by Title 15 of the Vacaville Municipal Code, plus any use-permit-specific cap imposed by the Community Development Department at entitlement. Chapter 9.20 (Abatement of Community Safety Violations) reinforces that exceeding posted occupancy load at a public assembly where alcohol or drugs are accessible is itself a violation.

Key details: Codified STR Headcount Cap: None - STRs not allowed in residential zones. Lodging Occupant Load: Lesser of use-permit cap and CBC Group R-1 table (adopted by VMC Title 15). ADU Occupancy: Long-term residential; <31-day STR prohibited (VMC Ch. 14.09.270). Public Assembly: Exceeding occupancy with alcohol/drugs accessible violates VMC Ch. 9.20. Posting Requirement: Posted-occupancy required for assembly uses by CBC; no STR-specific posting rule.

Exceeding the occupant load of a lawful lodging use is a building-code violation enforceable by the city's Building Official under Title 15 and a use-permit violation enforceable by Community Development under Title 14 and Chapter 1.28. Where the gathering involves alcohol or drugs accessible to attendees, Chapter 9.20 layers community-safety violation enforcement with escalating administrative citations, and Chapter 9.61 (Social Host Ordinance) adds joint and several liability for response costs where minors are involved. Operating an unauthorized short-term rental in a residential zone has no codified per-guest cap because the use is not permitted; the city enforces against the use itself under Title 14 and Chapter 1.28 regardless of guest count.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Vacaville has not codified short-term rental parking conditions because STRs are not authorized in residential zones. Parking for lawful lodging uses (hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns in commercial/mixed-use districts) is governed by the off-street parking provisions of Title 14 (Land Use and Development Code), which set the minimum number of stalls per guest room and per employee, ADA accessibility, drive-aisle dimensions, and landscaping. For residential addresses, on-street and overnight parking is regulated by Chapter 10.20 (Stopping, Standing and Parking), including a prohibition on parking commercial vehicles with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more within 600 feet of any occupied dwelling and the city's posted permit and time-limit zones.

Key details: STR-Specific Parking Rule: None - STRs not allowed in residential zones. Lodging Parking Standards: Title 14 off-street parking minimums (hotels, motels, B&B). Street Parking Authority: VMC Chapter 10.20 (Stopping, Standing and Parking). Commercial Vehicle Rule: GVWR =/> 10,000 lbs prohibited within 600 ft of occupied dwelling (delivery exception). Citation Authority: Cal. Vehicle Code Sections 40200 et seq.; VMC Chapter 10.56.

Off-street parking deficiencies for a lodging project are addressed at the Title 14 use-permit stage by Community Development; failure to maintain required parking after occupancy is a zoning violation enforceable through Chapter 1.28 (Abatement of City Ordinance Violations). On-street violations under Chapter 10.20 are enforced through parking citations issued by the Vacaville Police Department; the city decriminalized parking citations under California Vehicle Code Sections 40200 et seq. and Chapter 10.56 (Violations and Penalties), and the City Council sets the penalty schedule by resolution. Commercial-vehicle parking within 600 feet of an occupied dwelling outside of an active delivery exposes the operator to citation and, for repeated violations, vehicle abatement under Chapter 10.48. Loading-zone misuse is enforced separately under Chapter 10.28.

The Bottom Line

Vacaville's short-term rentals rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Vacaville is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Vacaville's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.