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

If you live in Ventura 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. Ventura has 11 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Insurance Requirements

Ventura's STR program requires $1 million per-occurrence short-term rental liability insurance as a condition of permit issuance, plus a $1,500 surety bond under SBMC §6.455.050(C). The bond pays civil penalties assessed against the permittee or any tenant/guest for code violations and is waivable only if the lease forbids parties between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Key details: Liability insurance: $1 million per occurrence (city Quick Reference / program requirement). Surety bond: $1,500, A.M. Best 'A-' or better, city as obligee (SBMC §§6.455.050(C), 6.455.080). Bond waiver: Available only if lease bans parties 10 p.m.–7 a.m. (§6.455.125(G)(9)). Bond covers: Civil penalties against owner OR tenant/guest for any code violation. Lapse penalty: Misdemeanor + possible permit revocation (§§6.455.150(D), 6.455.160).

Failing to keep a valid surety bond on file while the STR permit remains in effect is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(D). Letting liability insurance lapse is grounds for permit suspension, modification or revocation under §6.455.160 (revocation proceedings handled per Ch. 1.50 Article 4). Bond proceeds are tapped to satisfy any civil penalty assessed under Ch. 1.50 — meaning a single party complaint with citations can drain the bond and require it to be re-funded before the permit continues.

Parking Rules

Ventura's STR ordinance does not impose a fixed minimum number of off-street parking spaces per bedroom or per occupant. Instead SBMC §6.455.060(F) and §6.455.125(G)(2)–(3) require the operator to disclose, in the nuisance response plan and the lease, how many off-street spaces are available and to warn that on-street parking 'is extremely limited in some areas of the city.' Parking is also one of the listed physical factors the permit administrator may consider for any increased-occupancy request (§6.455.100(B)).

Key details: Minimum off-street count: Not fixed by Ch. 6.455 — base residential zoning controls (typically 2 covered spaces for SFR). Disclosure required: Number of off-street spaces must be in lease & posted (§6.455.125(G)(2)). On-street warning: Lease must state on-street parking is extremely limited (§6.455.125(G)(3)). Plan requirement: Nuisance response plan must list off-street space count and bedroom count (§6.455.060(F)). Occupancy linkage: Parking is a factor the city weighs in approving more than 2 + 2/bedroom (§6.455.100(B)).

Failing to disclose the off-street parking count and on-street parking warning in the lease is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(F) (performance-standard violation). Operating with fewer off-street spaces than the nuisance response plan represents is also grounds for permit modification or revocation under §6.455.160. Guests parking in violation of citywide parking and street-sweeping rules in SBMC Division 10 are independently subject to citation.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Ventura gives residents more flexibility on parking rules.

Night Caps

Ventura uses minimum-stay rules instead of an annual night cap. SBMC §6.455.125(D) requires a 7-night minimum stay from the second Friday in June through the last Friday in August. The rest of the year, the minimum stay is 2 nights AND the unit may be rented no more than once in any consecutive 7-day period — effectively one booking per week off-season.

Key details: Summer window: Second Friday in June through last Friday in August. Summer minimum stay: 7 nights (SBMC §6.455.125(D)). Off-season minimum stay: 2 nights. Off-season booking frequency: No more than once in any consecutive 7-day period. Outer STR ceiling: Tenancy of 30 consecutive days or less (§6.455.020); 31+ days exits the STR scheme.

Renting under the minimum-stay floor or booking more than once per 7-day period is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(F) (failure to comply with a §6.455.125 performance standard). Violations are also grounds for permit suspension or revocation under §6.455.160. The 7-night summer minimum is calendar-anchored — the second Friday in June to the last Friday in August — and applies regardless of how the booking platform calculates 'summer.'

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Ventura actively enforces its night caps requirements.

Permit Requirements

Ventura requires every owner of a residential dwelling unit used as a short-term vacation rental (rental of 30 consecutive days or less) to secure an STVR permit, a city business license, and a transient occupancy registration certificate before advertising or renting (SBMC §§6.455.020, 4.155.210). New permit issuance is currently PAUSED by City Council action of Dec. 10, 2024, pending Coastal Commission certification of the Local Coastal Plan Amendment to the updated ordinance. Each dwelling unit (e.g., each half of a duplex) requires its own permit. Operators must collect a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (SBMC §4.115.030) and carry a $1,000,000-per-occurrence STVR liability insurance policy. ADU/primary unit pairings cannot obtain STVR permits — both must be rented for terms longer than 30 days (SBMC §24.430.041).

Key details: Code Chapter: SBMC Ch. 6.455 (Short-Term Vacation Rentals). STVR Definition: Dwelling unit rented for 30 consecutive days or less (§6.455.020). Permit Status: New permits PAUSED since Dec. 10, 2024 pending Coastal Commission LCP amendment certification. Permits Required: STVR permit + business license + TOT registration certificate. Inspection: Initial Code Enforcement inspection required (fee non-refundable).

Operating, offering, or advertising an STVR without a permit is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(1), prosecutable under Chapter 1.050 Civil Penalties. Advertising without the city permit number violates §6.455.150(5). Failure to maintain a valid surety bond (unless waived) violates §6.455.150(4). Failure to collect/remit the 10% TOT is a separate misdemeanor under SBMC §4.115.070. The permit administrator may suspend, modify, or revoke a permit under SBMC §6.455.160 for any violation on the premises.

Compared to other cities, Ventura takes a harder line on permit requirements. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Ventura's current SBMC Chapter 6.455 does not restrict STVR permits to owner-occupied primary residences — non-resident owners may obtain a permit. However, the city imposes a hard primary-dwelling-plus-ADU restriction: if a property contains an Accessory Dwelling Unit, neither the primary dwelling nor the ADU can be used as an STVR, and both must be rented for terms longer than 30 days (SBMC §24.430.041; consistent with Gov. Code §65852.2 state ADU framework). On Dec. 10, 2024, City Council paused new STVR permit issuance pending Coastal Commission certification of the updated ordinance under the city's Local Coastal Plan Amendment, which is widely expected to introduce tighter owner-occupancy and density caps. Until the LCP amendment takes effect, existing permits continue under the rules described here.

Key details: Owner-Occupancy Required?: No — Ch. 6.455 does not currently limit STVRs to primary residences. ADU + Primary Restriction: Both must rent for 30+ days; no STVR permit for either (SBMC §24.430.041). State ADU Framework: Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2 (ADU/JADU preemption). New Permit Moratorium: Adopted Dec. 10, 2024 — no new permits until Coastal Commission LCP certification. Update Driver: Pending Local Coastal Plan Amendment (Coastal Act compliance).

Operating an STVR on a parcel that contains a permitted ADU violates SBMC §24.430.041 and is grounds for permit denial or revocation under §6.455.160 in addition to zoning enforcement. Filing a permit application during the active moratorium results in non-issuance.

Extended Home Share

Any rental of a Ventura dwelling unit for more than 30 consecutive days falls OUTSIDE SBMC Chapter 6.455 entirely (an STVR is defined by §6.455.020 as a rental of 'not more than 30 consecutive days'). Stays of 31+ days are also exempt from the 10% Transient Occupancy Tax under SBMC §4.115.030 (the 'transient' guest definition uses the same 30-day cutoff). However, longer-term rentals are tenancies and become subject to California's statewide rental laws: AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) caps annual rent increases at 5% + regional CPI (10% max) and Cal. Civ. Code §1946.2 imposes just-cause eviction protections once a tenant has been in possession 12+ months. No Ventura business license is required for a passive long-term residential landlord beyond standard rental property registration where applicable.

Key details: Cutoff for STVR Rules: 31+ consecutive days = NOT an STVR (§6.455.020). TOT Exempt: Yes — stays over 30 days are not 'transient' (§4.115.030). STVR Permit Required?: No — Ch. 6.455 does not apply. Rent Cap (AB 1482): 5% + regional CPI, 10% max annually (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12). Just-Cause Eviction: After 12 months continuous tenancy (Cal. Civ. Code §1946.2).

Long-term rentals (31+ days) are outside SBMC Ch. 6.455 and not enforceable as 'STVR violations.' However, evicting a long-term tenant without just cause after 12 months (Civ. Code §1946.2) or raising rent above the AB 1482 cap (Civ. Code §1947.12) exposes the owner to tenant claims, statutory damages, and attorneys' fees. Mis-classifying a 31+ day stay to evade TOT is still a misdemeanor under SBMC §4.115.070 if the operator collected the tax and failed to remit, or filed a false return.

Ventura is more permissive than most cities when it comes to extended home share. That said, there are still limits.

Host Presence Rule

Ventura SBMC Chapter 6.455 does not require the host or owner to be on-site or in the same building during a guest stay — both 'whole-home' and owner-present rentals are permitted. What Ventura does require is a designated 24/7 local responsible person identified in the recorded nuisance response plan who must be able to respond to a nuisance complaint within 45 minutes of receipt (SBMC §6.455.150(2)). The owner or designee's name and phone number are mailed to every property within a 300-foot radius and posted on the city's public STVR website. Owner-occupied hosting is allowed but not required; the regulatory burden falls on the response capability, not the host's physical presence during the stay.

Key details: On-Site Host Required?: No — current SBMC Ch. 6.455 has no host-presence mandate. 24/7 Local Contact: Required in nuisance response plan; must respond within 45 minutes. Neighbor Notice: Owner/agent name + phone mailed to neighbors within 300 ft. Unhosted Night Cap: None currently. Code Section: SBMC §§6.455.125, 6.455.150(2)–(3), 6.455.160.

Failure to respond to a nuisance complaint within 45 minutes is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(2). Failure to keep a current responsible-party contact on file is a misdemeanor under §6.455.150(3). Either triggers civil penalty exposure under SBMC Ch. 1.050 and is a ground for permit suspension, modification, or revocation under §6.455.160.

Noise Rules

STR guests are bound by the citywide noise ordinance at SBMC §10.650.110 et seq. SBMC §6.455.125(G)(7)–(9) requires every Ventura STR lease to flag amplified-sound rules, prohibit illegal loud parties, warn of loud-party cost recovery under §10.650.210, and recommend voluntary quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. If the owner contractually forbids parties in that window, the $1,500 surety bond is waived.

Key details: Voluntary quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (SBMC §6.455.125(G)(9)). Bond waiver trigger: Lease must formally forbid 10 p.m.–7 a.m. parties (§6.455.125(G)(9)). Citywide noise rules: SBMC §10.650.110 et seq. (amplified sound); §10.650.210 et seq. (loud-party cost recovery). Nuisance response time: Return call within 45 minutes; call primary occupant within 30 minutes (§§6.455.060(B), (D)). Lease must include: Noise-ordinance notice, party prohibition, loud-party cost-recovery warning (§6.455.125(G)(7)–(8)).

Failure to respond promptly to a nuisance complaint is itself a separate misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(B). Loud parties expose the operator to enforcement-cost recovery under §10.650.210 et seq., which the surety bond pays out on (§6.455.080). Repeated violations are grounds for permit suspension, modification or revocation under §6.455.160. Citywide noise-ordinance citations against guests under Ch. 10.650 are also chargeable against the surety bond per §6.455.080(A).

Occupancy Limits

SBMC §6.455.125(E) caps overnight occupancy of every short-term vacation rental at two persons within the unit plus two persons per bedroom. A 3-bedroom STR is therefore capped at 8 overnight guests. The permit administrator may approve higher numbers only on a documented showing of unusual size, layout or parking.

Key details: Default formula: 2 persons + 2 per bedroom overnight (SBMC §6.455.125(E)). 3-bedroom example: 8 overnight occupants maximum. Increase process: Discretionary — 300-foot neighbor notice and possible site visit (§§6.455.100(B), 6.455.110). Lease/posting requirement: Max overnight and daytime visitor counts must be in lease and posted inside unit (§6.455.125(G)(1)). Primary occupant rule: Primary overnight/daytime occupant must be 18+ and provide ID (§§6.455.125(B), (C)).

Exceeding the posted overnight occupancy cap is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(F) (failure to comply with any performance standard in §6.455.125). The lease must include occupancy disclosures (§6.455.125(G)(1), (G)(6)); failure to include them or to post them conspicuously inside the unit is itself a violation. Occupants can be cited or fined by the city and immediately evicted by the owner under state law (§6.455.125(G)(5)).

Registration Rules

An STVR in Ventura must complete three parallel registrations with the Business Tax Office: (1) the STVR permit under SBMC Ch. 6.455 with a sworn nuisance response plan naming a 24/7 contact who can respond on site within 45 minutes; (2) a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate under SBMC §4.115.030 used to collect and monthly-remit the 10% TOT (minimum $1,000 annual remittance); and (3) a city business license under SBMC §4.155.210. Owner must maintain a surety bond (unless waived) and a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy. All three registrations renew annually and any change to the nuisance response plan must be re-filed with the permit administrator (and triggers a Response Plan Change Fee).

Key details: TOT Rate: 10% of rents received on stays of 30 days or less (§4.115.030). TOT Remittance: Monthly, due by the last day of the following month. Annual Minimum TOT: $1,000 annual remittance threshold. Business License: Required — STVR treated as a taxable business (§4.155.210). Nuisance Response Plan: On file with permit administrator; 24/7 contact must respond within 45 minutes.

Failure to register for TOT or file required returns is a misdemeanor under SBMC §4.115.070. Failure to keep a current nuisance response plan on file with the permit administrator is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(3). Failure to maintain the surety bond violates §6.455.150(4). The permit, the TOT certificate, and the business license can each be suspended or revoked.

This is one of the stricter rules in Ventura's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Taxes & Fees

Ventura (officially San Buenaventura) imposes a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on all STR stays of 30 days or less under SBMC §4.115.030. Every short-term vacation rental operator must hold an STVR permit (SBMC §6.455.040), a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate, a business tax certificate (SBMC §6.455.050(B)), and post a $1,500 surety bond (SBMC §6.455.050(C)) unless waived under §6.455.125(G)(9).

Key details: TOT rate: 10% of rent for stays of 30 days or less (SBMC §4.115.030). Surety bond: $1,500 — waivable if rental contract bans 10 p.m.–7 a.m. parties (§6.455.050(C), §6.455.125(G)(9)). Liability insurance: $1 million per-occurrence STR liability per city Quick Reference (program requirement). Other certificates: Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate + business tax certificate required (§6.455.050(B)). TOT remittance: Quarterly, due last day of month after quarter end.

Operating without an STVR permit, without the required transient occupancy registration certificate, or without a current surety bond on file is a misdemeanor under SBMC §6.455.150(A), (C), (D). Failure to collect or remit the 10% TOT exposes the operator to back-tax assessment, interest and penalties under SBMC Ch. 4.115. Advertising the rental without the 'Ventura Permit No. ___' in the same size type as the largest type in the ad is itself a separate misdemeanor (§§6.455.045, 6.455.150(E)).

The Bottom Line

Ventura is tougher than many cities when it comes to short-term rentals. Out of the 11 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Ventura, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

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