Bakersfield, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (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.
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?
Does a revoked STR permit follow the property or just the operator?
Can a Bakersfield STR operator appeal a permit denial or revocation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bakersfield
California rules heatmap·Compare Bakersfield to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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