Frequently Asked Questions about Short-Term Rentals
FAQs
When did the Short-Term Rental Ordinance go into effect? • Adopted by council on November 6, 2023. The ordinance will go into effect on December 6, 2023.
What is a short-term rental?
• A short-term (sometimes called vacation) rental is defined as a dwelling unit, or any portion thereof, utilized for residing, lodging, sleeping, or other occupancy purposes for less than 30 consecutive days, counting portions of days as full days. Short-Term Rentals may be Hosted or Non-Hosted.
What is a Hosted short-term rental?
• A hosted short-term rental is defined as a short-term rental where, throughout the Short-Term Rental period, the host lives and sleeps in the dwelling unit or lives and sleeps in another legal dwelling unit on the same parcel, which parcel is the owner’s principal residence.
What is a Non-Hosted short-term rental?
• A non-Hosted short-term rental is defined as a short-term rental where the Host does not live and sleep in the dwelling unit or in another legal dwelling unit on the same parcel throughout the Short-Term Rental period.
What if my property is associated with an HOA?
• It is an applicant ’s responsibility to verify whether STR activity is prohibited by a Homeowners Association's (HOA) Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) prior to submitting a Short-Term Rental Permit application.
Are there any restrictions to where short-term rentals may be permitted and how many? • Pursuant to Visalia Municipal Code Section 17.32.166(B)(20) only one short -term rental is permitted per parcel in any residentially zoned district.
What requirements must a Short-Term-Rental operator follow to be in compliance? • The short -term rental operator will be obligated to comply with the operating standards detailed in Visalia Municipal Code Section 17.32.166(B)(1) through (20).
What is the process for City staff review of New and Renewal Short-Term Rental Permit applications?
• The process is similar to any business license currently applied for with the City of Visalia.
• The applicant will be required to submit a completed short -term rental application and business license to the City’s Business Tax Division, which will be routed to Planning staff for review.
• City staff reviews new and renewal short-term rental permit applications in the order that they are submitted to the City, and those that are deemed complete first are then acted on first. An application can be deemed complete once all issues have been addressed and/or any additional information requested by City staff has been provided. If there are other applications in process that were submitted and deemed completed prior to your application, then those applications will be acted on first.
Where can I get receipts from my TOT payments?
• The City of Visalia Finance Department can be reached at 559 -713-4378. Property owners can reach out to that department for copies of TOT receipts.
Do I need to obtain a Business Tax Certificate?
• Visit the City's page on the obtaining a Business Tax Certificate for more information about how to apply for a Business Tax Certificate.