Oxnard, CA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Under Oxnard Code of Ordinances Sec. 7, the owner of a short-term rental, whether a homeshare or a vacation rental, must maintain a commercial/business general liability insurance policy with a minimum limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence covering claims of personal injury or property damage. Proof of that coverage is a required attachment to every permit application filed under Article covering short-term rentals (Sec. ), and the policy must remain in force for as long as the permit is active; the community development director or designee can demand proof of current coverage at any time.

The insurance duty sits alongside related property-management obligations in the same section group: Sec. 6 requires a valid city business license, paid business taxes, and a current transient occupancy tax registration certificate; Sec. 8 makes owners jointly and severally liable to defend and indemnify the city against third-party claims tied to the permit or the rental's operation, including a signed indemnification agreement on a city form; and Sec. 9 requires owners to keep rental agreements, advertisements, and listings for up to three years and produce them electronically on request.

Because insurance falls under Sec. 16-668, a property-management requirement, letting the policy lapse or failing to produce proof is treated the same as any other 16-668 property-management violation. The community development director can also revoke or suspend the underlying permit under Sec. 16-672 for a breach of a permit condition, and an owner who loses their permit must reapply and requalify, including resubmitting proof of the $1,000,000 policy, before renting again.