Permit Requirements: Fairfield vs Vacaville
How do permit requirements rules compare between Fairfield, CA and Vacaville, CA?
Fairfield and Vacaville have similar restriction levels.
Fairfield, CA
Solano County
Fairfield does not allow whole-home short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days in residentially zoned districts. The City's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 25 of the Fairfield Municipal Code) does not list 'vacation rental,' 'transient rental,' or 'short-term lodging' as permitted residential uses, and the City's Code Enforcement unit has treated sub-30-day Airbnb-style rentals in residential zones as zoning violations. Rentals of 30 days or longer are permitted and trigger a Certificate of Rental Occupancy (CRO). A limited number of transient lodging uses (hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts) are allowed only in commercial and mixed-use zoning districts subject to use permit review.
View full Fairfield rules →Vacaville, CA
Solano County
The City of Vacaville does not issue a short-term rental (STR) permit and has not adopted a stand-alone STR licensing chapter. Under Title 14 (Land Use and Development Code) of the Vacaville Municipal Code, a rental of less than thirty (30) consecutive days falls within the 'hotel/motel' or 'bed and breakfast' use classification rather than 'dwelling, single-family' or 'dwelling, multifamily,' and lodging uses are limited to commercial zoning districts under Chapter 14.09.070 (Commercial and Mixed-Use Zoning Districts). Operating a whole-home Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com listing in an R-E, R-L, R-M, or R-H residential district is not a permitted use, even with a city business license. Accessory dwelling units are independently barred from short-term rental use by Chapter 14.09.270 (Standards for Specific Uses and Activities), which prohibits ADU rentals of less than 31 days.
View full Vacaville rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Fairfield | Vacaville |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-30-Day Rental in Residential Zones | Not permitted (Chapter 25) | - |
| 30+ Day Rentals | Allowed (CRO required) | - |
| Hotels/Motels | Commercial zones only | - |
| TOT Registration | Required even on permitted uses | - |
| Enforcement | FPD Code Enforcement (707-428-7587) | Code Enforcement Division under Chapter 1.28 and 9.20 |
| Code Authority | Fairfield Municipal Code Ch. 25 (Zoning) | - |
| Codified STR License | - | None - no Vacaville-specific STR permit |
| Governing Framework | - | Title 14 Zoning + Chapter 3.16 TOT + Title 5 Business License |
| Residential Zone STRs | - | Not a permitted use - rentals <30 days treated as hotel/motel |
| ADU Short-Term Rental | - | Prohibited <31 days (Chapter 14.09.270) |
| Lawful Lodging Zones | - | Commercial/mixed-use districts allowing hotel/B&B (Chapter 14.09.070) |
| TOT Processor | - | HdL Companies (effective October 1, 2023) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Fairfield FAQ
Can I list my Fairfield home on Airbnb for weekend stays?
No, not in a residentially zoned district. Fairfield's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 25) does not list short-term rentals as a permitted residential use, so sub-30-day rentals in R-1, R-2, R-3, and residential overlay districts are zoning violations enforceable through the Police Department's Code Enforcement Unit. Rentals of 30 days or longer are allowed but require a Certificate of Rental Occupancy and must comply with California landlord-tenant law (including AB 1482). Confirm zoning of your specific parcel with the Planning Division at (707) 428-7461 before listing.
Are there exceptions for hosted-room rentals or ADUs?
The Municipal Code does not carve out a hosted-room or ADU exception from the residential-zone short-term rental prohibition. State ADU law (Government Code §§65852.2 and 65852.22) requires Fairfield to permit ADUs as a residential use but does not require the City to permit short-term rental of those ADUs; Fairfield may (and does) restrict ADUs to long-term tenancies of 30+ days. Bed-and-breakfast operations are allowed only in commercial or mixed-use zones with a use permit.
Vacaville FAQ
Can I list my Vacaville house on Airbnb?
Not for stays under 30 days if the house is in a residential zoning district. Vacaville's Title 14 zoning code treats rentals of less than 30 consecutive days as a hotel/motel use, which is allowed only in commercial and mixed-use zoning districts under Chapter 14.09.070. The city has not adopted a stand-alone short-term rental ordinance permitting STRs in residential zones, and Code Enforcement may issue administrative citations under Chapter 1.28 for STR operation in a residential district.
Can I short-term rent my ADU in Vacaville?
No. Vacaville Municipal Code Chapter 14.09.270 (Standards for Specific Uses and Activities) prohibits accessory dwelling units from being used for short-term rentals of less than 31 days, consistent with California Government Code Section 65852.2(a)(6). ADUs may be rented for stays of 31 days or more.
What about a bed-and-breakfast?
A bed-and-breakfast inn is a defined lodging use in the Vacaville zoning code and is permitted in certain commercial and mixed-use districts under Chapter 14.09.070, typically with a use permit and a city business license under Title 5. It is not a permitted use in any of the R-E, R-L, R-M, or R-H residential districts. Confirm specific district eligibility with the Community Development Department before applying.
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