Beyond the zoning permit, operators must obtain a separate vacation rental license under County Code Chapter 4, Article VIII, register for a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate, and maintain a certified property manager. Permits are posted on-site and neighbors within 300 feet receive mailed notice of issuance.
Registration in unincorporated Sonoma County is multi-layered. The zoning permit under Sec. 26-88-120 establishes land-use approval, but Permit Sonoma also requires a vacation rental license (County Code Chapter 4, Article VIII) and a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate from the Auditor-Controller Treasurer-Tax Collector before operation. Sec. 26-88-120(f)(7) requires the owner or authorized agent to maintain a TOT certificate, stay current on reports and payments, and include the certificate number on all contracts and advertisements. Sec. 26-88-120(f)(10) requires that once a permit is approved, a copy listing all applicable standards be posted within six feet of the front door, and the County provides mailed notice of permit issuance to property owners and immediate neighbors using the standard 300-foot property-owner mailing list (at the permit holder's expense). Sec. 26-88-120(f)(11) requires every online listing to state the maximum occupancy (excluding children under three), the maximum number of vehicles, notice of quiet hours (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), notice that no outdoor amplified sound is allowed, and the property's TOT certificate number. Advertising is permitted only for properties operating under a valid permit, and advertising inconsistent with the permit is itself a violation.
Failure to include the limits, vehicle count, quiet hours, no-amplified-sound notice, or TOT certificate number in listings is an enumerated infraction under Sec. 26-88-120(g)(3). Advertising a property without a valid permit, or inconsistent with the permit's terms, violates the performance standards and may trigger administrative citations.
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