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

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

Key Facts

Strike Threshold
3 verifiable violations in 24 months
Response Window
30 minutes to fix a complaint, no strike
Separate Households
2+ complaints must be from different households
Appeal Period
10 days to appeal revocation
Reapplication Bar
24 months after permit revocation
Unpermitted Operation Penalty
10x standard application fee

Summary

Three verifiable citations, violations, or hearing-officer determinations against a Butte County short-term rental within any 24-month period trigger a cease-and-desist order and permit revocation under Section 24-172.1 J.1, with at least two of the underlying complaints required to come from separate households. A revoked host cannot reapply for 24 months, though the county must give notice and allow a 10-day appeal.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Butte County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

1.Three Strikes Revocation Rule. Three (3) verifiable administrative citations, violations, or hearing officer determinations concerning the permit requirements issued to the owner or occupants at the property within a 24-month period shall result in a notice to cease and desist operations and permit revocation. Revocation is subject to prior notice and to appeal, if requested within ten (10) days. In the event of permit revocation, an application to reestablish a short-term rental after revocation shall not be accepted for a minimum period of twenty-four (24) months.a.Prior to revocation under this section, at least two (2) of the verified complaints leading to a citation, violation or hearing officer determination shall be filed from separate households.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).

Full Breakdown

1 J of the Butte County Code, part of the short-term rental ordinance adopted by Ordinance No. 4159 and amended by Ordinance Nos. 4175 and 4197, layers its own enforcement track onto the general code enforcement process in Section 24-5F and Section 1-7. 1, the Three Strikes Revocation Rule, counts three verifiable administrative citations, violations, or hearing officer determinations against the owner or occupants at the same property within a rolling 24-month period. Hitting that threshold triggers a notice to cease and desist short-term rental operations and revocation of the administrative permit; at least two of the complaints behind the strikes must come from separate households, so a single repeat complainant cannot force revocation alone.

The county must give prior notice before revoking and allow an appeal if the operator requests one within ten days. Once revoked, an application to re-establish a short-term rental at that property is barred for a minimum of 24 months. 2 sets the mechanics for building a strike: complaints go by text or email to the host or property manager with a copy to Development Services, and a strike is avoided only if the host corrects the problem within 30 minutes and documents the fix. 1 revocation if a third strike accrues at any point in the same window.

Violations & Fines

A confirmed strike under Subsection J.2 requires the host or property manager to fix a verified complaint within 30 minutes or it counts against the three-strikes total. Three strikes in 24 months brings a cease-and-desist notice and permit revocation, appealable within ten days, with reapplication barred for 24 months. Advertising or operating without the required administrative permit separately draws a citation and a permit-fee penalty of ten times the standard application fee under Subsection J.3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strikes can a Butte County short-term rental get before losing its permit?
Three verifiable administrative citations, violations, or hearing officer determinations against the property within a 24-month period trigger a cease-and-desist notice and revocation of the administrative permit under Section 24-172.1 J.1. At least two of the complaints behind those strikes must come from separate households, and the county must give prior notice with a right to appeal within ten days.
Can a host avoid a strike by fixing the problem quickly?
Yes. Under Subsection J.2, a complaint sent by text or email to the host or property manager does not count as a strike if the host corrects the violation within 30 minutes and documents the fix to the complainant with a copy to the Department of Development Services. Unresolved or ignored complaints are recorded as a strike.
What happens after a short-term rental permit is revoked in Butte County?
The operator cannot reapply for a new short-term rental administrative permit at that property for a minimum of 24 months after revocation under Section 24-172.1 J.1. Separately, anyone advertising or operating a short-term rental without the required permit faces a citation, a cease-and-desist order, and a future permit-fee penalty of ten times the normal application fee under Subsection J.3.

Sources & Official References

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