Ceres, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Ceres, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registration deadline
- 30 days after starting business
- Who registers
- Any hotel/transient-lodging operator
- Administered by
- Finance Director (Tax Administrator)
- Transient defined as
- 30 consecutive days or less
- Non-compliance
- Infraction; willful = misdemeanor
Summary
Ceres has no separate short-term rental permit: instead every operator renting to transients for 30 days or less, including short-term rental hosts, must register with the Finance Director as Tax Administrator and post a transient occupancy registration certificate within 30 days of starting business.
Within 30 days after the effective date of this tax, or within 30 days after commencing business, whichever is later, each operator of any hotel renting occupancy to transients shall register the hotel with the Tax Administrator and obtain from him a transient occupancy registration certificate to be at all times posted in a conspicuous place on the premises. The certificate shall, among other things, state the following:
A.The name of the operator;B.The address of the hotel;C.The date upon which the certificate was issued;D.This transient occupancy registration certificate signifies that the person named on the face hereof has fulfilled the requirements of the uniform transient occupancy tax by registering with the Tax Administrator for the purpose of collecting from transients the transient occupancy tax and remitting this tax to the Tax Administrator. This certificate does not authorize any person to conduct any unlawful business or to conduct any lawful business in an unlawful manner, nor to operate a hotel without strictly complying with all local applicable laws, including but not limited to those requiring a permit from any lawful business in an unlawful manner, nor to operate a hotel without strictly complying with all local applicable laws, including but not limited to those requiring a permit from any board, commission, department or office of this City. This certificate does not constitute a permit. (Ord. No. 2020-1058, § 4, 3-23-2020)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Under Ceres Municipal Code § 3.06.060, any "hotel", defined broadly to include any structure occupied by transients for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes, must register with the Tax Administrator within 30 days of commencing business and post the resulting transient occupancy registration certificate in a conspicuous place. "Transient" is defined at § 3.06.020 as anyone occupying space for 30 consecutive days or less, so a short-term rental falls within the chapter's registration duty even though Ceres has no dedicated STR ordinance. The certificate itself does not authorize unlawful operation or substitute for any other required City permit.
Violations & Fines
Failing or refusing to register is unlawful under § 3.06.140; violations are an infraction, and willful violations are a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ceres have a separate short-term rental permit?
What happens if an STR host doesn't register?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ceres
How Ceres compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Ceres to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.