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Bakersfield, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Strike threshold
2 citations in 12 months
Consequence
STR permit non-renewal
Revocation bar
12 months, tied to parcel
Appeal window
10 business days to city manager
Governing chapter
BMC Chapter 17.74

Summary

Bakersfield's short-term rental chapter uses a strike system: two citations in a permit's 12-month term make it ineligible for renewal, and an outright revocation bars any STR permit on that parcel for a minimum of 12 months. Any violation of Chapter 17.74, noise, occupancy, unpermitted advertising, counts toward the two-citation threshold, so a single owner can lose STR rights citywide fast.

D. The STR permit shall not be renewed if the STR owner or operator has accumulated two or more citations during the twelve-month lifespan of the permit. ... B. Any and all violations of this chapter shall count as violations toward the two citations required for non-renewal of the STR permit. ... E. If the STR permit is revoked, no dwelling unit on that parcel may obtain an STR permit for a minimum period of twelve months, regardless of who is the STR operator, and may only be registered thereafter upon request and review by the development services director or their designee.

Source: Bakersfield Municipal CodeView official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 5221, passed July 15, 2026).

Full Breakdown

74 pairs its short-term rental permit with an escalating enforcement track. 070(B) confirms that 'any and all violations of this chapter', not just occupancy or noise citations, count toward that two-citation total. 050(D) each generates a citation that moves the operator toward non-renewal. Development services can also revoke a permit outright rather than merely letting it lapse at renewal. 070(E), once a permit is revoked, 'no dwelling unit on that parcel may obtain an STR permit for a minimum period of twelve months, regardless of who is the STR operator', the strike follows the property, not just the person who held the permit, so a sale or new lease during that window does not restart the clock.

Reinstatement after twelve months requires an affirmative request and review by the development services director or a designee; it is not automatic. 090 lets a denied or revoked applicant file written objection with the city manager within ten business days of mailed notice, triggering a scheduled hearing where the city manager's decision is final. 40 provision, or if a violation continues unresolved across several days.

Violations & Fines

A citation under Chapter 17.74 issued for noise, occupancy overcrowding, unpermitted advertising, an unreachable emergency contact, or false permit-application information counts toward the two-citation cap; a second citation within the 12-month permit term blocks renewal outright. Outstanding code-enforcement citation fees also block renewal under Section 17.74.040(F). Revoked permits carry a 12-month property-wide bar under Section 17.74.070(E), reviewable only through the Section 17.74.090 city-manager appeal process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many citations can a Bakersfield STR operator get before losing the permit?
Two. Bakersfield Municipal Code Section 17.74.040(D) bars renewal once an operator has accumulated two or more citations during the permit's 12-month term, and Section 17.74.070(B) counts any violation of Chapter 17.74, not just occupancy or noise, toward that total.
Does a revoked STR permit follow the property or just the operator?
The property. Section 17.74.070(E) bars any dwelling unit on a parcel with a revoked STR permit from obtaining a new one for at least 12 months, 'regardless of who is the STR operator,' so a new owner or tenant inherits the ban until it expires.
Can a Bakersfield STR operator appeal a permit denial or revocation?
Yes. Section 17.74.090 lets an applicant file written objection with the city manager or designee within ten business days of mailed notice. The city manager sets a hearing with at least fifteen days' notice, hears the appellant and the development services director, and issues a final decision.

Sources & Official References

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