Pomona, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Hosted stays only
- Un-hosted stays are prohibited citywide
- On-site requirement
- Host present except during daytime/work hours
- Emergency contact
- 24-hour contact, 30-minute on-site response
- Enforcement
- Counts toward three-strikes permit revocation
Summary
Pomona allows only hosted short-term rentals: Sec. 30-591(c) states plainly that only hosted stays are permitted and un-hosted stays are prohibited. A hosted stay means the host remains on-site and resides in a habitable part of the dwelling throughout the guest's stay, except during daytime or work hours, as defined in Sec. 30-590.
(c)Only hosted stays are permitted. Un-hosted stays are prohibited.(k)The STR owner shall provide a 24-hour emergency contact that will respond, on-site if requested, within 30 minutes to complaints about the condition, operation, or conduct of STR renters or their guests.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 30-590 defines a 'hosted stay' as short-term rental activity in which the host stays on-site and resides in a habitable dwelling unit or portion of it throughout the guest's stay, with an exception only for the host's daytime or work hours; an 'un-hosted stay' is defined as one where the host resides off-site during the guest's stay. Sec. 30-591(c) turns that definitional line into a flat rule: only hosted stays are permitted, and un-hosted stays are prohibited citywide, with no exception carved out elsewhere in the division for whole-home rentals while the owner is away.
The host-presence duty is reinforced by Sec. 30-591(k), which requires the STR owner to provide a 24-hour emergency contact who will respond, on-site if requested, within 30 minutes to complaints about the condition, operation, or conduct of STR renters or their guests. Because an STR that runs while the host is off-site fails the hosted-stay definition outright, operating one is treated the same as advertising or renting without a valid permit, since the permit itself is only issued to a host who meets the on-site occupancy standard.
Violations & Fines
Operating or advertising an un-hosted stay violates Sec. 30-591(c) and exposes the operator to an administrative citation under Sec. 30-592 and Sec. 2-1184, with fines set by council resolution. Because un-hosted operation also breaks the host-presence condition tied to permit eligibility, it counts toward the three-violation threshold in Sec. 30-592(d) that triggers permit revocation or suspension, and a criminal or civil conviction requires the operator to reimburse the city's full investigative and enforcement costs and remit any illegally obtained rental revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out my whole Pomona house while I'm away?
Does the host need to be physically present the entire time a guest stays?
What backup contact does a Pomona STR host need if they can't respond personally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
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