Santee Municipal Code Ch. 7.18 Hotel, Motel and Lodging House Registration Regulations

The purpose of this chapter is to deter the facilitation of prostitution, illicit drug activity and other illegal activities within the City by regulating registration practices in hotels, motels and other lodging houses.

(Ord. 560 § 3, 2019)

In this chapter:

"Hotel"

means any structure, or portion of any structure, which is occupied or intended or designed for occupancy by transients for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes, including any hotel, inn, tourist home or house, motel, studio hotel, lodging house, rooming house, apartment house, dormitory, campsite, mobilehome, motor home, travel trailer or house trailer at a fixed location, or other similar structure or portion thereof.

"Operator"

means the person who is the proprietor of the hotel, whether in the capacity of owner, lessee, sublessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee or any other capacity. Where the operator performs functions through a managing agent of any type or character other than an employee, the managing agent is also deemed an operator for the purposes of this chapter and has the same duties and liabilities as a principal. Compliance with the provisions of this chapter by either the principal or the managing agent are considered to be compliance by both.

"Room"

means any area within a hotel intended for use as dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes. "Room" does not mean any area within a hotel not intended for use as sleeping or lodging quarters such as meeting or conference rooms.

"Transient"

means any person who exercises occupancy or is entitled to occupancy by reason of concession, permit, right of access, license, or other agreement for a period of 30 consecutive calendar days or less, counting portions of calendar days as full days.

(Ord. 560 § 3, 2019)

A. Every operator of every hotel in the City must at all times keep and maintain a register, in which the operator keeps the name, address and date of birth of every transient. Concurrent with the registration process, each transient must identify all authorized or proposed occupants of the room and provide to the operator a valid picture identification. Valid picture identification includes a valid driver's license, Federal or State government, or military identification card, passport or any form of identification that contains the transient's picture, current address and date of birth. The type of picture identification provided to the operator must be noted in the register and include the document's identification number and the State or Country of issuance.

B. The operator must also include in the register information regarding the transient's vehicle including vehicle make and model, license plate number and the State of issuance.

C. The register required by this section must be signed by the transient and the operator must write opposite the name and address, the number of each room assigned, together with the time of the entry. Until all of the entries have been made in such register, no transient is permitted to occupy any room in any hotel in the City. Erasures or alterations on the register are prohibited excepting for correction of an error. No person is permitted to erase or obliterate any name or address or permit the same. When the transient quits or surrenders any room in any hotel, the operator of the hotel must enter the time thereof in the register opposite the name of such transient.

D. Registration records must be maintained and kept on file not fewer than 90 days after creation and must be available for inspection by City officials or any peace officer.

(Ord. 560 § 3, 2019)

No operator is permitted to rent or let any room in any hotel more than once within a 12-hour time period.

(Ord. 560 § 3, 2019)

No person is permitted to write or cause to be written, or knowingly permit to be written in any register of any hotel any name other than the true name of the person so registering.

(Ord. 560 § 3, 2019)