Santa Cruz County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- Strike threshold
- More than 2 violations in 12 months
- Hearing authority
- Held under SCCC § 18.10.117
- Counted conduct
- Noise, tax delinquency, mis-advertising, more
- Property manager duty
- Must answer calls within 60 minutes
- After revocation
- Barred from that parcel without Board consent
Summary
Santa Cruz County tracks short-term rental compliance on a strike system: more than two significant violations on one property within any 12-month period sends the permit under SCCC § 13.10.694(E)(12)(b) straight to a public hearing on revocation, with conduct from noise citations to late transient occupancy tax all counting toward the total.
If more than two significant violations occur on a short-term rental property within a 12-month period, the permit shall be noticed for a public hearing to consider permit revocation pursuant to SCCC § 18.10.117. "Significant violations" are: citations for violation of SCCC Chapter 8.30 (Noise); violation of any specific conditions of approval associated with the permit; mis-advertising the capacity and limitations applicable to the short-term rental; written warnings, or other documentation filed by law enforcement; violations of State or County health regulations; non-compliance with a public health order or emergency regulation issued by State or local authorities which may limit use and occupancy of short-term rentals; delinquency in payment of Transient Occupancy Taxes, fines, or penalties; non-responsive property management, including failure by the host or local property manager to respond to calls within 60 minutes; and failure to maintain required signage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
694(E)(12)(b) triggers review once a property crosses a specific threshold. 117. The code defines significant violations broadly rather than limiting the strike system to one category of misconduct. 30 noise citation, a violation of any specific condition of the permit itself, mis-advertising the unit's guest capacity or limitations, a written warning or other documentation filed by law enforcement, a violation of state or county health regulations, non-compliance with a public health order limiting short-term rental occupancy, delinquency on Transient Occupancy Tax payments or fines, a property manager who fails to answer a call within 60 minutes, or a failure to keep the required signage posted.
Any one of those, more than twice in a year, is enough to force the hearing. The consequence reaches past the individual permit term. 694(E)(12)(b)(i) bars the former holder from applying for a new short-term rental permit for that same parcel unless the Board of Supervisors first consents. 694(E)(12)(a) lets a single violation of any short-term rental rule, or any other county code section, support denial of a renewal application at a public hearing.
Violations & Fines
Penalties for violating the short-term rental provisions, including the repeat-violation trigger, run through SCCC § 13.10.696 and Chapter 19.01, Enforcement of Land Use Regulations. Beyond fines, the practical consequence is procedural: a public revocation hearing under SCCC § 18.10.117, and after an actual revocation, a parcel-specific bar on reapplying without Board of Supervisors consent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many violations put a Santa Cruz County short-term rental permit at risk?
What counts as a significant violation for a short-term rental?
Can I get a new short-term rental permit after mine is revoked?
Who decides whether to revoke a short-term rental permit in Santa Cruz County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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