Canyon Lake Municipal Code Ch. 5.25 Short-Term Vacation Rentals

The purpose of this Chapter is to prohibit the establishment and operation of short-term vacation rentals within the City.

(Ord. 200, passed 9-2-2020)

“Short-term vacation rental” means a dwelling unit or portion of a dwelling unit that is rented for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes by the owner to another party for a period of 30 or fewer consecutive days in exchange for any form of monetary or non-monetary consideration, such as, but not limited to, trade, fee, swap, or any other in-lieu- of-cash payments.

(Ord. 200, passed 9-2-2020)

The establishment and operation of a short-term vacation rental, as defined in Section 5.25.020, is prohibited anywhere within the City. No permit or any other applicable license or entitlement for use, including, but not limited to, the issuance of a business license, shall be approved or issued for the establishment and operation of a short-term vacation rental within the City limits.

(Ord. 200, passed 9-2-2020)

(a) Violations Declared a Public Nuisance. Each and every violation of the provisions of this Chapter is hereby deemed unlawful and a public nuisance and may be summarily abated by the City Manager or designee. The City may recover any nuisance abatement costs and/or administrative fines relating to such violations in accordance with Government Code Sections 38773.1 and 38773.5.

(b) Each Violation a Separate Offense. Each and every violation of this Chapter shall constitute a separate violation and shall be subject to all remedies and enforcement measures authorized by this Code. Additionally, as a nuisance per se, any violation of this Chapter shall be subject to injunctive relief, any permit issued pursuant to this Chapter being deemed null and void, disgorgement and payment to the City for any monies unlawfully obtained, costs of abatement, costs of investigation, attorney fees, and any other relief or remedy available at law or in equity. The City may also pursue any and all remedies and actions available and applicable under state and local laws for any violations.

(c) Criminal Penalties. Any person causing, permitting, aiding, abetting, suffering or concealing a violation of this Chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and may, in the discretion of the City Attorney, be prosecuted as a misdemeanor and upon conviction be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000 or imprisonment in the City or County jail for a period of not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The City Attorney, in his or her sound discretion, may prosecute a violation of this Chapter as an infraction, rather than a misdemeanor, or reduce or agree to the reduction of a previously filed misdemeanor to an infraction. Any person convicted of an infraction under the provisions of this Chapter shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,500 for the first violation, a fine not exceeding $3,000 for a second violation within one year, and a fine not exceeding $5,000 for a third violation within one year. A fourth violation of this Chapter within one year shall be charged as a misdemeanor and may not be reduced to an infraction. Each day a violation is committed or permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense. The City Manager may grant a hardship waiver to reduce the amount of the fine upon a showing by the responsible party that the responsible party has made a bona fide effort to comply after the first violation and that payment of the full amount of the fine would impose an undue financial burden on the responsible party.

(d) Remedies Cumulative and Not Exclusive. The remedies provided herein are not to be construed as exclusive remedies. The City is authorized to pursue any proceedings or remedies provided by law.

(Ord. 200, passed 9-2-2020; Am. Ord. 218, passed 4-6-2022)