Short-term rental permit rules in Davis, CA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Davis has no dedicated short-term rental permit ordinance. Instead, hosts must hold a city business license, register the rental if not owner-occupied, and remit the transient occupancy tax on stays of 30 days or less.
The City of Davis has not adopted a standalone short-term rental (STR) permit program. A 2015 draft STR ordinance and later 2020 council options (night limits, owner-presence rules) were never enacted, so no STR-specific permit exists. Instead, an STR operator must obtain a general business license under Davis Municipal Code Chapter 19, register the unit under the Rental Resources Program (Article 18.11) if it is not owner-occupied, and collect the 12% transient occupancy tax under Chapter 15.05. A home-based host also complies with the zoning code's home-occupation standards. Always confirm current requirements with the Community Development and Finance departments.
Operating an STR without a required business license, or renting an unregistered non-owner-occupied dwelling, can trigger code-enforcement citations, back taxes, and penalties under the applicable Davis Municipal Code chapters.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Yolo County.
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