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

Buena Park goes beyond a contact requirement to a true host-presence rule. Section 19.348.080(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. On top of that, Section 19.348.080(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.