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Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY

Chapter 9.06 — RENTAL OF VEHICLES FOR HUMAN HABITATION

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

9.06.060 Enforcement.

  • Editor’s Note: Chapter 9.06, Wood Burning Fireplaces and Appliances, previously codified herein, was repealed in its entirety by Section 6 of Ordinance No. 5108.

    Editor’s Note: Chapter 9.06, Human Habitation of Vehicles, previously codified herein, was repealed in its entirety by Section 1 of Ordinance No. 5286.

9.06.010 Rental of recreational vehicles for living or sleeping quarters - Prohibition.

No person shall rent, lease, let out, or otherwise loan any oversized vehicle which is subsequently utilized for living or use as sleeping quarters on any street, alley, or city-owned or city-controlled premises in exchange for money, goods, or services.

For the purposes of this chapter, "oversized vehicle" means any vehicle exceeding seven feet in height or exceeding twenty feet in overall length or exceeding seven feet in width (including any load or accessory thereon other than antennas), provided that this definition shall not apply to vehicles that exceed these dimensions solely because of modifications required to accommodate a disability and the vehicle is lawfully displaying a disabled placard or license.

It shall not be necessary to prove that the person who rented, leased, let out, or otherwise loaned any vehicle that was subsequently utilized for living or sleeping quarters intended or knew that the vehicle would be used for living or use as sleeping quarters on any street, alley, or city-owned premises.

(Ord. 5690 § 2 (part), 2026: Ord. 5686 § 1 (part), 2025)

9.06.020 Rental of recreational vehicles for living or sleeping quarters - Advertisements prohibited.

No person shall advertise for rent, lease, let out, or loan in any newspaper, or through any other medium, including online, social media, or other platforms, any oversized vehicle available for the purpose of utilizing the vehicle for living or use as sleeping quarters on any street, alley, or city- owned or city-controlled premises.

(Ord. 5690 § 2 (part), 2026: Ord. 5686 § 1 (part), 2025)

9.06.030 Rental of vehicles in the public right-of-way.

It shall be unlawful for any person who deals in or whose business involves the rental or leasing of vehicles, including recreational vehicles (RVs)

or other oversized vehicles, to park, store, or leave standing any such vehicles, whether occupied or vacant, on any street, alley, or other public right-of-way during the conduct of such business. This prohibition does not apply to a vehicle owned only for personal use and not involved in the business of rental or leasing of vehicles, if otherwise legally parked.

(Ord. 5690 § 2 (part), 2026: Ord. 5686 § 1 (part), 2025)

9.06.050 Rental of space in the public right-of-way.

No person or entity other than the city and any of its departments or designees, or other appropriate public entity, shall have the authority to sell, lease, license, permit, reserve or facilitate the reserving of any street, way, alley, highway, road, parkway, parking space or other public right-of-way or city-controlled parking lot in the city without written authorization from the city. Any person who purports to sell, lease, license, permit, reserve or facilitate reserving of space in the public right-of-way via a written or oral agreement of any kind, with or without compensation, is in violation of this section.

(Ord. 5690 § 2 (part), 2026: Ord. 5686 § 1 (part), 2025)

9.06.060 Enforcement.

Each day in which a violation of this chapter occurs shall constitute a separate violation of this chapter. Each vehicle in violation of this chapter shall constitute a separate violation of this chapter. Violations are enforceable through any penalty available by law, including those specified in Title 1 of this code.

(Ord. 5690 § 2 (part), 2026: Ord. 5686 § 1 (part), 2025)

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▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. ▸Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
    Overview
    1. 9.04 Alcoholic Beverages
    2. 9.05 Entertainment Zones
    3. 9.06 Rental of Recreational Vehicles for Human Habitation
    4. 9.07 Safe Storage of Firearms
    5. 9.08 Guns and Explosives
    6. 9.09 Public Nuisance
    7. 9.10 Noise
    8. 9.12 Loudspeakers
    9. 9.14 Smoking and Tobacco Regulations
    10. 9.16 Reserved
    11. 9.17 Reserved
    12. 9.20 Reserved
    13. 9.22 Impersonating Public Officials
    14. 9.24 Reserved
    15. 9.26 Private Patrol Service
    16. 9.28 Hotels and Rooming Houses
    17. 9.32 Reserved
    18. 9.40 Aircraft
    19. 9.44 Solicitation of Employment, Business, or Contributions Wi…
    20. 9.45 Solicitation in Streets, Commercial Parking Areas, and in…
    21. 9.48 Obstructing Streets and Sidewalks
    22. 9.50 Graffiti
    23. 9.56 Abatement of Nuisances
    24. 9.57 Reserved
    25. 9.60 Civic Center Block Regulations
    26. 9.64 Regulation of Community Facilities
    27. 9.65 Residential Rental Registry Program
    28. 9.68 Rental Housing Stabilization
    29. 9.70 Resale Controls For Units Originally Financed With Mortga…
    30. 9.72 Mandatory Response to Request for Discussion of Disputes …
    31. 9.73 City Policy Against Arbitrary Discrimination
    32. 9.74 Discrimination Against Families with Minor Children in Ho…
    33. 9.76 Mobilehome Park Conversion
    34. 9.78 Mosquito Abatement
    35. 9.79 Newsracks
    36. Chapter 9.04 — ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
    37. Chapter 9.05 — ENTERTAINMENT ZONES
    38. Chapter 9.06 — RENTAL OF VEHICLES FOR HUMAN HABITATION
    39. Chapter 9.07 — SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS
    40. Chapter 9.08 — GUNS AND EXPLOSIVES
    41. Chapter 9.09 — PUBLIC NUISANCE
    42. Chapter 9.10 — NOISE
    43. Chapter 9.12 — LOUDSPEAKERS
    44. Chapter 9.14 — SMOKING AND TOBACCO REGULATIONS
    45. Chapter 9.16 — RESERVED
    46. Chapter 9.17 — RESERVED
    47. Chapter 9.20 — RESERVED
    48. Chapter 9.22 — IMPERSONATING PUBLIC OFFICIALS
    49. Chapter 9.24 — RESERVED
    50. Chapter 9.26 — PRIVATE PATROL SERVICE
    51. Chapter 9.28 — HOTELS AND ROOMING HOUSES
    52. Chapter 9.32 — RESERVED
    53. Chapter 9.40 — AIRCRAFT
    54. Chapter 9.44 — SOLICITATION OF EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS, OR CONTRI…
    55. Chapter 9.45 — SOLICITATION IN STREETS, COMMERCIAL PARKING ARE…
    56. Chapter 9.48 — OBSTRUCTING STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
    57. Chapter 9.50 — GRAFFITI
    58. Chapter 9.56 — ABATEMENT OF NUISANCES
    59. Chapter 9.57 — RESERVED
    60. Chapter 9.60 — CIVIC CENTER BLOCK REGULATIONS
    61. Chapter 9.64 — REGULATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES
    62. Chapter 9.65 — RESIDENTIAL RENTAL REGISTRY PROGRAM
    63. Chapter 9.68 — RENTAL HOUSING STABILIZATION
    64. Chapter 9.70 — RESALE CONTROLS FOR UNITS ORIGINALLY FINANCED W…
    65. Chapter 9.72 — MANDATORY RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION OF
    66. Chapter 9.73 — CITY POLICY AGAINST ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION
    67. Chapter 9.74 — DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FAMILIES WITH MINOR CHIL…
    68. Chapter 9.78 — MOSQUITO ABATEMENT
    69. Chapter 9.79 — NEWSRACKS
  9. Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. Title 18 — ZONING
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

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