Politics & Government
City Of Napa Reiterates Its Policy Of Enforcing The Vacation Rental Ordinance
In response to questions from our community, the City of Napa is reiterating its policy of enforcing regulations that preserve and enhan ...
June 25, 2021
In response to questions from our community, the City of Napa is reiterating its policy of enforcing regulations that preserve and enhance the integrity of residential neighborhoods. The City’s goal is to create and maintain safe, livable, and sustainable neighborhoods for all who call Napa home.
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One regulation that implements this policy is the City’s Vacation Rental Ordinance which prohibits “transient occupancy” uses in residential neighborhoods unless the use is permitted by the City. A “transient occupant” is a person who uses a lodging facility or sleeping for 30 consecutive days or less. The City allows no more than 101 total vacation rental permits, and strict permit conditions require permittees to avoid adverse impacts on neighbors. Since all of the available 101 permits are already in use, and there is a waiting list for potential future permits, the City is not accepting applications for new permits. (See Napa Municipal Code Section 17.52.515.)
While the City does regulate how residential property is used (including the regulation of transient occupancy uses), in light of constitutional and statutory limitations on the scope of a municipality’s zoning authority, the City may not and does not regulate the type of legal entity that owns property (for example, as an individual person, shared ownership interest among individuals, a partnership, or a corporation) or how residential property is bought or sold.
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The City actively monitors the many web-based platforms used to advertise vacation rentals, and regularly pursues those who attempt to operate without a permit from the City. In addition, the City’s Code Enforcement Division responds to complaints of any adverse impact of a home being used for vacation rental purposes. You may contact the Code Enforcement Division at 707-257-9646.
This press release was produced by the City of Napa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.