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

Section 16-420(a) sets two revocation tracks for short-term rental permits. The first, in subsection (a)(1), covers major violations that jeopardize public safety, violate licensing requirements, or involve criminal activity such as on-site felonies, non-payment of taxes, or significant license issues; the Director of Development Services can immediately revoke the permit for one year from the date of revocation. The second track, in subsection (a)(2), is the three-strikes policy for lower-level quality-of-life violations, including, but not limited to, noise disturbances, disorderly conduct, and repeated violations of operational requirements.

Each documented violation counts as one strike, and upon the third strike within a one-year timeframe, the short-term rental permit is subject to immediate revocation. After a revocation period expires, a host seeking to resume short-term rental activity must reapply for a new permit, and the reapplication process includes a thorough review of the property's compliance history and may require additional measures to address past violations, under Section 16-420(b)(1)-(2). The Director of Development Services has discretion to decide whether a host is eligible for a new permit.

Hosts can appeal a suspension or revocation decision through the appeals process in Chapter 16, Article 5, and appeals must be submitted within the timeframe set in Section 16-222 after the decision, under Section 16-420(c). The three-strikes framework works alongside, not instead of, the escalating civil penalty schedule in Section 16-419(c), so a host can face both fines and permit revocation for the same pattern of violations.