Short-Term Rentals

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To file a complaint regarding a short-term rental property, please call the 24/7 hotline at (760) 435-5460 or complete the online complaint form.

What is a Short-Term Rental?

On June 19, 2019, the City Council adopted an Ordinance establishing Short-Term Rental (STR) regulations. Amendments to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance have been adopted by City Council on January 10, 2024, and May 8, 2024.

A Short-Term Rental (STR) is defined as the rental of any legally permitted dwelling unit (or portion thereof) for occupancy for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes for a period of no more than 30 consecutive days. An STR does not include bed and breakfasts, hotels, motels or timeshares.

A Hosted STR is a dwelling where the owner occupies the dwelling unit as his or her principal residence and offers a portion of the dwelling unit for short term rental while remaining on site.

A Non-Hosted STR (Unhosted) is a dwelling unit where the owner of the property does not occupy the dwelling unit as his or her principal residence or does not remain on site during rentals.

Where are Short-Term Rentals prohibited?

STRs are prohibited in mobile home parks.

STRs are prohibited at non-conforming panhandle lots. A non-conforming panhandle lot is a lot that does not meet city standards set forth in Oceanside Zoning Ordinance Section 1050 (Y) or other applicable city ordinances.

New non-hosted STRs are prohibited outside of the Coastal Zone as of February 10, 2024.

STRs are currently allowed throughout the Coastal Zone; however, the amendment approved by City Council and awaiting Local Coastal Plan (LCPA24-00001) approval would introduce the following restrictions:

A maximum of 480 non-hosted STR Permits in residential zoning districts west of Coast Highway (not including the R-1 zone).
Prohibit new non-hosted STRs in the R-1 zone.

STRs are prohibited at properties with an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) or Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) that was permitted on or after September 9, 2017, neither the ADU, JADU, nor the primary residence can be used as an STR per Oceanside Zoning Ordinance 3006(E)(3).

Tenants of properties are not eligible to offer the property for STR.

STR Permits are non-transferable.

The City's rules for operating a STR are set forth in Chapter 24 and Chapter 34, Article III of the Oceanside City Code and property owners and their agents should familiarize themselves with the applicable regulations. Property owners should consult with their Homeowners' Association to determine if applicable CC&R's provide additional regulations. The City does not enforce private CC&R's.

Do I need a Short-Term Rental Permit?

Before determining if a property requires an STR Permit the owner of the property will need to apply for a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate.

If you do not hold a valid TOT certificate and want to offer your property as an STR, email BLinquiry@oceansideca.org with the property address to begin account setup or apply online via the below link. The online application will redirect you to our third-party application website MUNIRevs.

During the review of the TOT certificate application, Planning Staff will review the property and determine if an STR is permittable based on zoning and STR regulations.

An STR Permit is required for all STR properties as of June 7, 2024, unless:

The unit is part of a gated HOA that contains at least 50 units, meets applicable parking requirements, and has 24-hour security or on-site management.

The unit is a hosted unit in the Coastal Zone. However, the proposed amendment awaiting Local Coastal Plan approval would require all STR properties to obtain an STR Permit.

How to apply for a Short-Term Rental Permit?

To apply for an STR Permit, send an email to BLinquiry@oceansideca.org with the property address and a staff member will respond within 48 business hours to assist you with account set up or use the online STR application link below. Proof of ownership may be required before the account may be established. Property managers working on behalf of a property owner will be required to submit the Property Management Agreement.

Short-Term Rental (STR) Application

The STR Permit fee is $250 and will be charged when the application for STR Permit or STR permit renewal is submitted. STR Permits must be renewed annually. There is also a property inspection fee of $215 which will be charged at the initial STR permit application and at a minimum of every three years thereafter. Fees are non-refundable.

Hosted properties will require the property owner to sign an affidavit affirming the property is their primary residence and they remain on-site during rental periods.

STR Application Documents

STR Regulation Documents

Who to contact for STR questions?

Business License- General Information, STR account creation, TOT information
(760) 435-3878 or BLinquiry@oceansideca.org

Planning- Zoning questions
(760) 435-3520

Code Enforcement- Code violations
(760) 435-3944

Fire Prevention- Fire inspections
(760) 435-4101

MUNIRevs / GovOS- Technical assistance, STR account creation
(888) 751-1911 or blt.str.support@govos.com

STR complaints
(760) 435-5460 or online complaint form

Short-Term Rental Directory

Short-Term Rental Directory
Directory of Short-Term Rental properties in Oceanside updated in real-time.

Short-Term/TOT Map Viewer

Short-Term/TOT Map Viewer
Map viewer of properties with Short-Term Rental Permit and/or Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate in Oceanside, updated monthly by the 20th.