Monterey County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- First violation penalty
- Up to 175% of daily rate or $1,000/day
- Second violation (within 1 year)
- Up to 275% of daily rate or $2,500/day
- Third violation (within 1 year)
- Up to 375% of daily rate or $5,000/day
- Renewal denial trigger
- 2+ substantiated violations within past year
- Post-revocation ban
- 12 months before new license eligible
- Enforcing officer
- Enforcement Officer under MCC Ch. 1.22
Summary
Monterey County escalates civil penalties for repeat vacation rental violations under Chapter 7.120. A first violation tops out at 175 percent of the advertised daily rate or $1,000, a second within a year rises to 275 percent or $2,500, and a third within a year reaches 375 percent or $5,000, each per day the violation continues.
The Enforcement Officer may issue an administrative citation for the violation of this Chapter as a civil penalty as follows:1.A civil penalty not exceeding one hundred seventy-five (175) percent of the maximum advertised rental rate per day, or part thereof, or one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per day, or part thereof, for vacation rentals without an advertised rental rate, for a first violation;2.A civil penalty not exceeding two hundred seventy-five (275) percent of the maximum advertised rental rate per day, or part thereof, or two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) per day, or part thereof, for vacation rentals without an advertised rental rate, for a second violation of this Chapter within one year; and3.A civil penalty not exceeding three hundred seventy-five (375) percent of the maximum advertised rental rate per day, or part thereof, or five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) per day, or part thereof, for vacation rentals without an advertised rental rate, for a third violation of this Chapter within one year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
160(D). The penalty schedule is tiered by count within a rolling one-year window: a civil penalty not exceeding 175 percent of the maximum advertised rental rate per day (or $1,000 per day for rentals without an advertised rate) for a first violation; not exceeding 275 percent of the rate (or $2,500 per day) for a second violation of the Chapter within one year; and not exceeding 375 percent of the rate (or $5,000 per day) for a third violation within one year. 160(E) makes each day a violation continues a separate violation subject to all remedies available under the Monterey County Code or other law, and treats a violation as a public nuisance eligible for injunctive relief, disgorgement of unlawfully obtained money, and recovery of investigation, abatement and attorney's fees.
130(A) lists any act in contravention of federal, state or county law, or operating as a nuisance, as grounds for outright revocation. 130(C). 140, with ten calendar days to request it after service of the notice of intention to revoke.
Violations & Fines
Civil penalties escalate per violation within a rolling 12-month period: up to 175 percent of the maximum advertised daily rate or $1,000 per day for a first offense, up to 275 percent or $2,500 per day for a second, and up to 375 percent or $5,000 per day for a third, with each day of continuing violation counted separately. Two or more substantiated violations in a year block license renewal, and a revoked license bars reapplication under Chapter 7.120 for twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many strikes before a Monterey County vacation rental license is at risk?
How much can each STR violation cost?
Can a revoked vacation rental license be reissued right away?
Does the operator get a hearing before revocation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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