Bulletin - National City, CA News Today
Existing hosts must race newcomers for 45 permits per council district as the city's first STR ordinance takes effect
National City Opens Short-Term Rental Permits This Week With a Hard Cap of 180 and No Grandfathering
Existing hosts must race newcomers for 45 permits per council district as the city's first STR ordinance takes effect
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National City's short-term rental ordinance takes effect this week and with it comes a hard ceiling of 180 permits citywide, split evenly at 45 per council district and issued on a first come first served basis through an online portal launching on the city website. The city is offering no grandfathering so operators who have been renting for years must apply alongside newcomers and risk being shut out if their district fills first.
Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/mazJUZCkflI
What the ordinance requires
The rules live in Chapter 6.30 of the National City Municipal Code which the council approved on first reading in August 2025 and adopted unanimously the following month. National City had no short-term rental rules at all before this and the ordinance was drafted at the request of the police department after a run of incidents at rental properties. Councilmember Jose Rodriguez said that some units had been used for human trafficking, parties, shootings, stabbings and drug consumption.
National City Short-Term Rental Ordinance, Chapter 6.30: Draft regulations establishing eligibility, permitting, operating standards and enforcement requirements for short-term rentals. | Source: https://pub-nationalcity.escribemeetings.com/
Every operator must now hold a city permit, quiet hours run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and each rental needs a responsible contact who is on site or reachable around the clock. Applicants must live in National City or within a quarter mile of the property and those with convictions related to prostitution or other serious crimes cannot hold a permit. A felony committed at the property triggers immediate revocation and a revoked operator waits 12 months before applying again.
National City Municipal Code Chapter 6.30 outlining the city’s official rules, permit requirements, operating standards and enforcement provisions for short-term rentals.
Hosted versus unhosted rentals
The ordinance treats owner-occupied rentals differently from whole-home investments. Hosted properties where the operator lives on site face no cap on the number an individual may run while unhosted rentals are limited to one per operator and capped at 90 rental days per calendar year. Guests pay the city's 10% transient occupancy tax on the nightly rate while the annual permit fee was proposed at $250 as in line with Chula Vista and Vista, though the city was still weighing vendor quotes as of December 2025 and has not posted a final figure on its ordinance page.
Roma Chang
Crystal Niebla
Enforcement and the permit race
Violations carry fines of up to $1,500 while possible loss of the permit and the city has contracted Deckard Technologies to process applications and monitor listings so unpermitted listings on Airbnb and Vrbo will be visible to enforcement staff from day one. The city's active listings at between 100 and 200 before the law passed so demand for the 180 slots may run close to supply depending on how listings fall across the four districts. Rodriguez shared in December that there would "inevitably be a race for some of these permits."
National City's Short-Term Rental Ordinance
Official National City webpage with information on the city’s short-term rental regulations, permit program, requirements and implementation.
⦾ Effective date: Week of September 14, 2026, when the application portal opens
⦾ Permit required: Yes, capped at 180 citywide and 45 per council district, first come first served, no grandfathering
⦾ Residency rule: Operator must live in National City or within a quarter mile of the rental
⦾ Night cap: 90 days per calendar year for unhosted rentals; none for hosted rentals
⦾ Unhosted limit: One per operator
⦾ Quiet hours: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. with a 24-hour responsible contact
⦾ Permit fee: Proposed at $250 per year, final figure not yet published by the city
⦾ Tax: 10% transient occupancy tax
⦾ Penalty for non-compliance: Fines up to $1,500 and permit revocation, with a 12-month wait before reapplying
⦾ Platform responsibility: No direct obligations stated; Deckard Technologies monitors listings for the city
A new National City law targeting crime at short-term rental properties takes effect next week, requiring operators to obtain permits and maintain around-the-clock oversight of their properties.
— ABC 10News San Diego (@10News) September 13, 2026
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