Pg. 10
city updates
don't let a short-term rental
be a long-term problem...
As of December 6, 2023, the Short-Term Rental Ordin ance has taken effect in Visalia. But what are Short-Ter m Rentals (STRs) and why does Visalia need an ordinance for them? Although the name might sound new, short-term renta ls are actually more common than one might think. They are just more commonly referred to as vacation rentals or ho mes listed on travel sites such as Airbnb. In more tech nical terms, a short-term rental is a dwelling unit (house, apar tment, condo, etc.) or any portion of the unit that is utilized for lodging, sleeping, or other occupancy purposes for less than thirty days.
There are even two types of short-term rentals: hos ted and non-hosted.
• Hosted STRs are rentals where the host lives and sleeps anywhere on the same property as the rental. Example s of hosted STRs include hosts renting out a single room in their home and hosts renting out a guest house on their p roperty when they reside in a different house on the same p roperty as the rental.
• Non-Hosted STRs are rentals where the guests have the property to themselves and the host does not live o r sleep anywhere on the same property as the rental.
So that's what STRs are, but why does Visalia need an
ordinance for them?
While short-term rentals have been around much long er than 2023, the new ordinance in Visalia aims to not only protect renters, but was created to ensure that owners and hosts are meeting a certain operating standard and completing the necessary taxes and licenses to operate a business.
Operating a short-term rental might not seem like a traditional business, but it is conducting business. Homeowners must go through a filing process, meet operating standards, and pay taxes in order to rent their home long-term (such a s a lease or anything beyond 30 days).
Visalia's Short-Term Rental Ordinance ensures that short- term rental owners are taking the same steps as oth er
business operators.
To be in compliance with the STR Ordinance, any short-term rental owner within Visalia city limits must comple te these steps to start or continue their rental operations:
1) Complete and submit a business tax certificate
application. This must be done first.
2) Complete and submit a Short-Term Rental (STR) Permit Application. During this step, you also need to pro vide proof of ownership of the property.
3) If you are not the homeowner applying for the pe rmit, a notarized signature of the homeowner is required wi th the application.
If you or someone you know is interested in operati ng a short-term rental, visit www.visalia.city/str or click here for more information.