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

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Strike threshold
3 verified violations in 12 months
Consequence 1
Loses Operator in Good Standing status
Consequence 2
Permit enters revocation proceedings
Post-revocation
Permanently ineligible on that property
Major violation fines
$1,500 / $3,000 / $5,000

Summary

Santa Rosa treats three verified code violations in twelve months as a Short-Term Rental death sentence. City Code Section 20-48.040(H)(1) strips an Operator of Good Standing status after the third strike, and Section 20-48.080(C) puts the permit itself into revocation proceedings, permanently barring that property from ever holding another Short-Term Rental Permit.

The Short-Term Rental, whether before or after Short-Term Rental Permit issuance, has accrued in any one-year (12 consecutive months) period, three verified code enforcement violations... ... Upon a third verified violation of this chapter within a 12 consecutive month period, a Short-Term Rental Permit will be subject to revocation proceedings pursuant to Section 20-54.100. The Owner of a Short-Term Rental Permit that has been revoked for any reason shall be permanently ineligible for future consideration of a Short-Term Rental Permit on the property that was the subject of the revocation.

Full Breakdown

Two sections work together to create Santa Rosa's repeat-violator rule. 040(H)(1) says an owner loses Operator in Good Standing status, and every benefit that status carries, if the Short-Term Rental has accrued three verified code enforcement violations in any one consecutive 12-month period, whether the violations occurred before or after the permit was issued. Losing that status is not just a label: any subsequent reapplication must meet every requirement of a brand-new Short-Term Rental Permit, including the 1,000-foot separation distance between Non-Hosted rentals, which an Operator in Good Standing would otherwise have been grandfathered around.

100, and once a permit is revoked for any reason, the Owner is permanently ineligible for future consideration of a Short-Term Rental Permit on that same property. 080(C).

Violations & Fines

Fines escalate under Table 48.1 alongside the strike count: major-category violations like operating without a permit, exceeding occupancy limits, or missing quiet hours run $1,500 for a first offense, $3,000 for a second, and $5,000 for a third or later violation within 12 months, and that third violation simultaneously triggers Section 20-48.080(C) revocation proceedings and permanent ineligibility for the property.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many code violations before a Santa Rosa STR permit is revoked?
Three verified violations within a 12 consecutive month period. Section 20-48.080(C) puts the Short-Term Rental Permit into revocation proceedings on the third strike, and Section 20-48.040(H)(1) separately strips the owner's Operator in Good Standing status at the same three-violation threshold.
Can an owner get a new permit after Santa Rosa revokes one?
Not on that property. Section 20-48.080(C) makes the owner of a revoked Short-Term Rental Permit permanently ineligible for future consideration of a Short-Term Rental Permit on the property that was the subject of the revocation, with no waiting period after which eligibility returns.
Does an advertising violation count toward the three-strike total?
Yes. Section 20-48.080(B) states that even a first-time citation under Section 20-48.070(A)(8) for advertising or listing violations, which carries no fine, still constitutes a verified violation for purposes of the three-strike revocation rule in Section 20-48.080(C).

Sources & Official References

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