Bakersfield, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Section 17.74.030(A) of the Bakersfield Municipal Code makes the permit mandatory, not optional: 'No person or entity shall advertise, rent, or operate a short-term rental in the city unless a short-term rental (STR) permit has been issued by the city pursuant to this chapter.' The development services director sets the application form and can demand any information needed to evaluate eligibility. Subsection (B) lists fifteen conditions an applicant must meet at submission. The dwelling must qualify under Section 17.04.200 and cannot be an accessory dwelling unit, junior ADU, deed-restricted affordable unit, special group residence, or single-room-occupancy unit (B.1).

If the property sits in a residential development project of five or more units, the number of STRs is capped on a sliding scale, one to two STRs for a 5-to-10-unit project, up to twenty-one to thirty for a 101-to-150-unit project (B.2). Applicants must designate a 24/7 local emergency contact who can respond to complaints within one hour (B.3), supply full owner and (if applicable) operator contact information (B.4-B.6), and confirm the unit carries no active or pending code enforcement action and no outstanding citation fees (B.7, B.13).

No permit issues if the same dwelling had an STR permit revoked or denied in the prior twelve months (B.8), and the city inspects the property for hazards before issuance (B.12). An operator must also hold a Chapter 5.02 business tax certificate before renting or advertising (B.15). An incomplete application lapses automatically if requirements aren't met within forty-five days of city review, forcing a new application and a new fee (B.14).