Ventura, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Homestay definition
- owner retains primary residency, stays overnight nightly
- Permit finding required
- dwelling is owner's primary residence, § 6.455.040(B)(8)
- Rented portion
- bedroom(s) plus shared common areas only
- Density benefit
- unlimited homestay permits in every area
- Contrast
- whole-unit STVR has no residency requirement
Summary
A Ventura homestay permit, unlike a whole-unit short-term vacation rental, is only available for a dwelling that is the owner's primary residence. Municipal Code § 6.455.020 defines a homestay as a unit where the owner keeps primary residency and stays overnight nightly through the guest's whole visit, and § 6.455.040(B)(8) makes that residency a permit-issuance finding.
“Homestay” is a dwelling unit other than a “dwelling unit” located in a “hotel,” as those terms are defined in Title 24, that is rented for a period of not more than 30 consecutive days, during which time the owner of the dwelling unit retains primary residency in the unit and stays overnight in the unit nightly throughout the occupant’s entire stay. ... 8. ... For a homestay permit, the proposed homestay dwelling is the owner’s primary residence.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
455 splits short-term rentals into two permit types with different residency rules. 020 is the rental of an entire dwelling unit for 30 days or fewer with no residency requirement on the owner. A 'homestay,' by contrast, is defined in the same section as a dwelling unit rented for not more than 30 consecutive days during which time the owner of the dwelling unit retains primary residency in the unit and stays overnight in the unit nightly throughout the occupant's entire stay. 040(B)(8) requires, as one of the minimum findings before issuing or renewing a homestay permit, that the proposed homestay dwelling is the owner's primary residence.
060(B)(2), not the whole unit, consistent with the owner continuing to live there. 080 allows an unlimited number of homestay permits in every one of the city's five short-term rental areas, while whole-unit vacation rentals are capped by neighborhood.
Violations & Fines
Obtaining a homestay permit for a dwelling that is not the owner's primary residence, or ceasing to reside there while continuing to advertise or rent the unit as a homestay, is inconsistent with the § 6.455.040(B)(8) finding and violates Chapter 6.455 under § 6.455.170, exposing the owner to a notice of violation and possible suspension or revocation under § 6.455.190.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Ventura rental a 'homestay' instead of a short-term vacation rental?
Does the city verify the owner actually lives in a homestay?
Why would an owner choose homestay over vacation-rental status?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Primary-Residence-Only Rule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle primary-residence-only rule.