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

Cathedral City Municipal Code § 5.96.070(C)(1) is the strike rule for short-term vacation rentals in Cathedral City, California. On the third notice of violation and/or administrative citation within twelve months at the same rental property, the director of community development or designee shall suspend the permit for a period of time determined by the city, not exceeding six months. Subsection (H) ties the count to a twelve-month period and states that once the prescribed number of citations has been reached, the suspension action shall be taken. Subsection (C)(2) adds a separate route: the city manager or designee can suspend a permit on substantial evidence that suspension is necessary to protect public health, safety and general welfare, irrespective of how many notices or citations exist.

Process matters here. The city gives written notice of suspension to the owner, and the suspension takes effect three days after the notice is sent by certified or registered mail. Notice is sufficient when mailed to the address on the last application or renewal, whether or not anyone claims it. The notice must name the permit holder, the address, the code sections violated, the conditions that warrant suspension, any prior city action, and the official making the decision.

Appeals run to a hearing officer. A permittee has ten days from the date the notice is deemed received to file a written notice with the city clerk on the city form, with the required filing fee. The hearing is set not less than ten and not more than forty-five calendar days after filing. For a third-strike suspension under (C)(1), the appeal challenges only the duration of the suspension, and the third citation itself is contested under Title 13. When any permit is suspended, owners within one hundred fifty feet receive written notice, and neighbors who complained in the prior twelve months can be told of the hearing and submit written statements.