Buena Park, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Buena Park goes beyond a contact requirement to a true host-presence rule. 080(E)(2) requires the host to reside on the property where the short-term rental is located, so the operator lives on-site during rentals. 080(E)(15) requires that, for each STR use, the host or authorized agent be available to the Enforcement Officer and the renter by telephone 24 hours per day, 7 days per week when the unit is rented, and be physically on the premises of the short-term rental unit within one hour of being notified - by a renter, the Director, or an Enforcement Officer - of a need to address permit compliance or the health, safety, or welfare of the public or the renter.

A host may designate an 'authorized agent' to serve as the 24-hour emergency contact in their place, and the city must be notified of who is authorized; however, the host must still live on the property as their primary residence even when an agent is used. The application must list a 24-hour telephone number for the host and for any authorized agent. This one-hour on-site response standard is among the stricter operator-presence rules in Orange County and reflects the city's focus on rapid response to nuisance and safety complaints in tourist-area neighborhoods.