Placentia, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Section 6.45.120 of the Placentia Municipal Code sets the maximum overnight occupancy of a short-term residential rental from 11:00 p.m. through 6:00 a.m. the following morning at two persons per bedroom. Children under the age of six can additionally occupy the premises, and no additional occupants are permitted on the premises during those hours. The owner or managing agency or agent must advertise the maximum number of overnight occupants in any advertising for the premises, and Section 6.45.100(a)(1)(B) separately requires every advertisement, including online advertisement, to state the number of occupants allowed.

The definition of occupant in Section 6.45.020 is wide: any individual person living, sleeping or possessing a building or portion of it, whether or not that person pays rent, provides in-kind services, or is named in any lease or contract. A guest who is not on the booking still counts toward the cap. The responsible person is the signatory of the rental agreement, must be an occupant of the unit, and is legally responsible for ensuring that all occupants and their guests comply with the chapter.

Notice is part of the system. Under Section 6.45.070(b) the owner or managing agent must tell the responsible person, before occupancy and by a posting in the dwelling, the maximum number of overnight and daytime occupants permitted on the premises under the chapter. Section 6.45.040(a) adds that the rental cannot be used for weddings, receptions and large parties attended by more than the occupants, and Section 6.45.130(c) bars occupants from using a vehicle, tent or other portable structure as a dwelling unit on the grounds. Section 6.45.140 sets the minimum rental at one night and two consecutive days with no overlapping leases.

Enforcement comes from the city's code enforcement department, which handles complaints on a 24-hour basis under Section 6.45.170(b), and from the director of development services under Section 6.45.160.