Marin County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- Strike threshold
- More than 3 verified violations per term
- License term counted
- Each 2-year license period, resets on renewal
- What counts
- Complaint plus investigation verifying the violation
- After non-renewal
- Must join wait list for next license
- Enforcing agency
- Marin County Community Development Agency
- Appeal rights
- Under Code Chapters 1.05, 1.06 and 1.07
Summary
Marin County will not renew a short-term rental license once code enforcement has verified more than three substantial violations of the chapter or the license terms during a single two-year license period. Section 5.41.050(F)(v) sets the threshold, and Section 5.41.080 lets the county suspend or revoke a license even sooner for ongoing violations.
v.A short term rental license renewal application shall be denied if there have been more than three verified substantial violations of this chapter or of the license requirements related to the short term rental during the previous license term. Substantial violations are violations for which a complaint has been received and a code enforcement case opened with an investigation verifying the existence of the violation. ... Short term rental licenses may be suspended or revoked if the short term rental property owner fails to meet the standards set forth in this chapter and/or the requirements of the license. Short term rental licenses shall not be renewed if there have been more than three verified violations of the standards or license requirements during the previous licensing term, as determined through the code enforcement process.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
050(F)(v), part of the short-term rental (STR) licensing chapter adopted by Ordinance No. 3816 in 2024, denies a license renewal outright if there have been more than three verified substantial violations of the chapter or of the license requirements during the previous license term. The code defines a 'substantial violation' narrowly: it requires that a complaint was received, a code enforcement case was opened, and an investigation actually verified the violation existed, not just that a complaint was filed. 080 backs this up by authorizing the Community Development Agency to suspend or revoke a license at any time the owner fails to meet the chapter's property standards or license conditions, independent of the three-strikes renewal bar.
050(C), the violation count resets with each new term rather than accumulating for the life of the property. 050(D)(3) for the next available slot. 07 (Imposition of Administrative Fines for Ordinance Violations), all of which the STR chapter incorporates by reference.
Violations & Fines
A fourth verified substantial violation within one license term triggers automatic non-renewal under Section 5.41.050(F)(v), and the Community Development Agency can suspend or revoke the license immediately for any standards violation under Section 5.41.080. Owners facing suspension, revocation, or non-renewal are entitled to the notice and appeal procedures of Marin County Code Chapters 1.05, 1.06 and 1.07 before the action becomes final.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many violations can a Marin County short-term rental have before losing its license?
Can Marin County revoke a short-term rental license before the three-strikes threshold is hit?
Can an owner get a new short-term rental license right after being denied renewal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.