Napa, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Chapter 8.17 of the City of Napa Municipal Code applies to residential rental properties of two or more units and to each owner and tenant. The chapter does not require landlords to register each rental unit with the city, but it does impose three substantive obligations. First, owners and tenants must maintain the property in a manner consistent with the city's codes, including the building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire, and property-maintenance codes adopted under Title 15. Second, the owner and the property manager must adopt written house rules that obligate tenants, household members, children, guests, and visitors to refrain from activity that violates city codes, state law, constitutes a public nuisance, or disturbs the peace. Third, for any residential rental property with 16 or more rental units, the owner must provide an on-site resident manager reasonably available during normal business hours. A violation of Chapter 8.17 is declared a public nuisance and may be abated by the city under Section 1.16.010, Chapter 8.16, Civil Code Section 3494, Code of Civil Procedure Section 731, Health and Safety Code Sections 11570 to 11579, and Government Code Section 38773. Standard business-license rules in the Napa Municipal Code also apply to landlords engaged in rental as a business. Short-term and vacation rentals are governed instead by the Section 17.52.515 vacation rental permit program, which caps the city at 41 non-hosted (whole-home) and 60 hosted permits.