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

Section 6.30.060 of the National City Municipal Code sets the sequence. Prior to renting or advertising the availability of a Short-Term Rental, the Owner or their Agent shall obtain (1) a business license under Chapter 6.04, (2) a transient occupancy registration certificate under Chapter 4.32, and (3) a Short-Term Rental permit under Chapter 6.30. Advertising counts, so a listing cannot go up first.

The application is governed by 6.30.070. It goes to the city on a city-approved form, one per Short-Term Rental unit, listing the legal names, addresses and telephone numbers of Owners, Agents and Brokers and a twenty-four-hour, seven-day local contact person, the address and assessor's parcel number, the number of Bedrooms, the number of designated on-site parking spaces, whether the unit is Hosted or non-Hosted, the number of fire extinguishers and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms with a self-certification of Fire Code compliance reviewed by the fire marshal, the renter application forms, and the Owner's rules for the unit. Every Owner on the deed signs, and a signed statement acknowledges that false information can lead to suspension or revocation.

The fee is set by City Council resolution, is paid with initial and renewal applications, and is nonrefundable. Permits are valid for one year or under an approved multi-year agreement, and renew in coordination with business license renewals. They apply only to the persons named on the application and are non-transferable: within fourteen calendar days of a material change in ownership or a substitution of Agent, a new application with the fee is required. Persons with a criminal record related to prostitution or other serious crime under Penal Code Title 9 are barred from operating.

Capacity is limited. Section 6.30.030 permits a maximum of one hundred eighty Short-Term Rental units in the city, no more than forty-five per City Council District. Denial or revocation is decided in writing by the city manager or designee and appealed under Section 6.04.160.