Ventura County HOA Guide
Oxnard HOA Guide: Local Rules for Boards and Owners
Oxnard has an estimated 199,651 residents, and the Census Bureau puts its owner-occupied housing rate at 54.4%. None of the city pages we reviewed are written for HOAs, so this guide sticks to the rules the city, its fire department and Oxnard Water publish.
This guide collects the city rules an Oxnard board runs into most often, and points you to the How2HOA guide that explains what to do about each one.
Local rules on this page were checked against the City of Oxnard’s website and City Code, the Oxnard Fire Department, Oxnard Water, the California Coastal Commission and U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts on October 29, 2026. The online City Code opened for us only in part. We confirmed its short-term rental, oversized vehicle and commercial vehicle sections, but its noise sections would not open. We also found no city page on tree permits, so this page does not cover noise limits, construction hours or tree rules. The state’s bill page for AB 1572 also would not open, so the turf law dates here come from the city’s own page. Confirm the current rule before you act on it. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
At a glance
HOAs in Oxnard at a glance
The city does not publish a list of homeowners associations, and its code compliance, special district and water pages do not name them. What the city does publish is a set of districts that charge owners on the property tax bill, several of them in the planned communities around Mandalay Bay and RiverPark.
No public agency we checked gives a count of Oxnard’s HOAs or a typical dues figure, so we do not quote one. Owners and tenants should read their own governing documents to learn what their association covers.
Local rules
Rules that apply in Oxnard
Three layers of rules apply to an Oxnard association. State law comes first, mainly the Davis-Stirling Act. City ordinances apply to every property, whether or not it is in an HOA. Your governing documents can then be stricter than the city in most areas, and state law limits them in a few. Near the beach, coastal rules reviewed by the California Coastal Commission add another layer. The city does not enforce your CC&Rs, and your CC&Rs do not excuse anyone from a city rule.
Short-term rentalsA city permit is required, and vacation rentals are capped by neighborhood and at 100 days a year.
Since December 17, 2020, anyone running a short-term rental (a stay of less than 30 days) in Oxnard needs a city permit. The city calls short-term rentals “not a by-right use.” Inland rules are in Chapter 16, Article XI of the City Code and coastal rules are in section 17-53. The city permits two kinds:
- Homeshares are in the owner’s primary residence while the owner is there. Up to two bedrooms and five guests are allowed. The owner must be on site from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and within 25 miles at other times, and must show proof of the homeowners’ exemption.
- Vacation rentals are rented while the owner is away. Overnight guests are limited to two per bedroom, up to five bedrooms, with a maximum of 10. A designated property manager must be reachable at all times and within 25 miles.
- Vacation rentals are capped at 100 days a year, and arrival and departure days each count as a full day.
- Section 16-662 caps vacation rental permits at 5% of each general plan neighborhood and bars a new one within 200 feet of another permitted vacation rental. In the coastal zone, section 17-53 sets the spacing at 100 feet in the Residential Beach Front (R-BF) zone and 200 feet outside it. Applications that fail the cap or spacing rule are fully refunded.
- Under section 16-663.2, a permit can be issued only if no owner of the property already owns another permitted homeshare or vacation rental. On a property with several units, such as a duplex, cottages or apartments, only one unit can be permitted.
- Parking must be on site, with no on-street parking: one space for a studio or one bedroom, two for two to four bedrooms and three for five or more. The garage must stay clear for guests.
- Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with no outdoor amplified sound, and fireworks are prohibited.
- Within 24 hours of first hearing about a complaint, the owner or manager must file the city’s online report.
Operators also need a business license and must collect Transient Occupancy Tax. The city’s STR portal page lists a new application fee of $1,595 and a renewal fee of $1,214.25, each plus the business license fee. Another city page lists different fees, so confirm the current amount with Planning at planning@oxnard.org. Permits expire no later than one year after they are issued.
The city’s pages and the code sections we reviewed do not mention HOA permission. Report a problem rental on the city’s online complaint form or the hotline the portal page lists, (805) 253-3945.
What to do about it: How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community walks through writing and enforcing a rental rule. For longer leases, see Renting Out Your Home in a Homeowners Association. For the California rules, see our guide to buying, selling and renting in a California HOA.
Beach neighborhoods and the coastal zoneCoastal rental rules went through the Coastal Commission, and an Oxnard court case limits what an HOA can do alone.
The California Coastal Commission approved Oxnard’s coastal short-term rental rules with changes in 2020, and the city adopted them by Ordinance No. 2986. The Commission’s staff report describes these coastal rules:
- Vacation rentals are capped at 5% of each general plan neighborhood, or 10% in the Residential Beachfront (R-BF) zone.
- New vacation rentals must be at least 200 feet from another one, or 100 feet in the R-BF zone. The city’s renewal form adds a three-night minimum stay for Residential Beachfront properties.
- Some homes cannot be used as short-term rentals at all, including mobile homes, accessory dwelling units, deed-restricted affordable units, farmworker housing and homes in The Colony at Mandalay Beach and Harbour Island. Apartment complexes are limited to one.
The same report describes a case every coastal board should know. In 2016 the Mandalay Shores Community Association, which covers about 1,400 units in Oxnard Shores, banned short-term rentals. A state appeals court held in 2018 that it could not do so on its own, saying the decision to ban or regulate them “must be made by the City and Coastal Commission, not a homeowners association.” If your association is in the coastal zone, talk with your attorney before you adopt or enforce a rental rule.
Two other points for beach communities. Silver Strand Beach and Hollywood Beach are outside city limits, and the city sends those owners to the County of Ventura. And the city lists separate waterways districts for Mandalay Bay and Harbour Island among its special districts.
What to do about it: HOA Rules and Enforcing Violations and How to Minimize Homeowners Association Liability.
Parking and oversized vehiclesOversized vehicles are barred from residential city streets. The ban does not reach private HOA streets.
The City Code sets the rules behind those fines:
- Oversized vehicles (section 8-41.1). No oversized vehicle may be parked or left standing on a public street in a residential zone (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 or MH-PD). Oversized means a motor vehicle more than 96 inches high and more than 240 inches long, or any motor vehicle attached to a trailer.
- Exemptions. These include a 24-hour window to load before or unload after a vacation outside the city, the time reasonably needed for a delivery and a contractor’s oversized vehicle while working at a home on that street. The code lists a few others, including certain disabled-person plates.
- Commercial vehicles (section 8-41). Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more may not park on any street in a residential district, with exceptions listed in the code.
The oversized vehicle section defines a public street as a roadway owned or maintained by the city, so that ban does not reach private HOA streets. On those, your association’s own parking rules and towing setup do the work. We did not confirm whether the city issues oversized vehicle permits or the full text of the 72-hour rule. The city’s Code Compliance page says it does not handle abandoned vehicles or public parking, and sends vehicles on public streets to the police non-emergency line at (805) 385-7740. Parking questions go to the police department’s parking line at (805) 385-7748.
What to do about it: How to Set Up a Towing Service in Your Homeowners Association and HOA Rules and Enforcing Violations. For the state rules on enforcement, fines and hearings, see California HOA enforcement, fines and disputes.
Oxnard Water and the state turf lawWatering is limited to three days a week, and HOA common areas are covered by the turf law from 2029.
Oxnard Water is part of the city’s Public Works Department and offers its rebates with the Calleguas Municipal Water District and the Metropolitan Water District. Its water use restrictions page, last updated April 19, 2023, says Oxnard is at a Stage 1 water shortage level:
- Outdoor watering is allowed only on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, with no more than 10 minutes per station.
- Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle is exempt, and so is drip irrigation that stays within the same weekly amount.
- No watering during measurable rain or within 48 hours after it.
- Fountains must recirculate their water.
The city’s turf page says AB 1572, the 2023 state law, bans drinking water on nonfunctional turf, meaning grass that is only for looks and has no recreational use. It lists all HOA and common interest development common areas as covered starting January 1, 2029. The city says the ban does not apply to individual homeowners’ residential yards, so it reaches the association’s common areas, not each owner’s lot.
| Turf removal rebate | Terms |
|---|---|
| Amount | $3 per square foot on the city’s rebates page, subject to change with funding |
| Trees | $100 per tree added, up to five |
| Who it covers | the page lists the rate for both residential and commercial customers |
The city’s turf page gives a different figure, up to $4 per square foot for commercial customers through Metropolitan. It also describes a Turnkey Turf Transformation Program, paid for by a state drought grant, that covers 100% of the cost of turf conversion. Neither page says whether HOA common areas qualify, so call the Water Conservation Hotline at (805) 385-3905 before you plan a project.
What to do about it: put the turf conversion in your numbers with Planning and Managing Your HOA Budget and Understanding HOA Reserve Studies, then compare landscape bids with the Vendor Comparison Worksheet.
Weed clearing and fire hazard mapsYearly weed and brush clearing is due by June 1.
The city’s Code Compliance unit runs weed abatement. Owners must finish the yearly cutting and removal of all dry weeds, brush, growth and trash by June 1. The notice says the work creates space around buildings. It does not give heights, distances or penalties. Call Code Compliance at (805) 385-7940, extension 9, or email code.compliance@oxnard.org.
On March 10, 2025, the State Fire Marshal released new fire hazard severity zone maps for cities. The city held town halls for RiverPark, River Ridge, Victoria Estates, Windsor North, South Bank and Wagon Wheel, where its notice says the maps changed, and others for District 1 beach neighborhoods and the Southwinds and Cypress areas. The pages we read do not say which zone level applies to each area or confirm that the city has adopted the maps, so we give none. Check each common-area address on the city’s fire hazard severity zone page and ask the fire department what applies.
What to do about it: How to Minimize Homeowners Association Liability, and for coverage questions, Rising HOA Insurance Costs in California and the FAIR Plan. For what the association’s insurance has to cover, see California HOA insurance requirements.
Landscape and community facilities districts36 landscape districts and community facilities districts for Westport, Seabridge, RiverPark and Northshore.
The city’s Special Districts Division lists these charges, which appear on the Ventura County property tax bill apart from association dues:
- 36 Landscape Maintenance Districts under the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972. They pay to maintain, repair and replace things like trees, shrubs and fencing. Service levels range from A, one visit a week, to F, one visit a quarter, and the money must stay in the district that paid it.
- Non-bonded community facilities districts (Mello-Roos) that pay for ongoing services: CFD 2 (Westport at Mandalay Bay), CFD 4 (Seabridge at Mandalay Bay, including public boat docks and dredging), CFD 5 (RiverPark, including parks, sports fields and flood protection), CFD 8 (Sakioka Farms Business Park) and CFD 9 (Northshore at Mandalay Bay).
- Bonded districts that repay construction bonds: CFD 1 (Westport, final maturity 2033), CFD 3 (Seabridge, final maturity 2035) and three districts for the Highway 101 interchanges. CFD 7 (Wagon Wheel) is also financed with bonds, issued and run by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority.
Each year the City Council sets the landscape district charges at a public hearing. Raising a district’s maximum rate takes a Proposition 218 mail ballot of the owners, and the city says owners have never voted for one. Use the Special Districts map to find your district, or call (805) 385-7578 or email specialdistricts@oxnard.org. The city’s pages do not say which districts overlap with a particular association, so check each address.
Read next: Mello-Roos vs. HOA Dues: What Each One Pays For and Buying a House in an HOA? Here’s What You Need to Know. For the California rules behind these projects, see California HOA maintenance and repair responsibilities and California HOA reserves.
Is this a lot for a volunteer board to track?
City rules, coastal rules, state law and your own documents all change, and someone has to keep up. If your Oxnard board is deciding between managing itself and hiring help, start with Self-Managed vs. Professional HOA Management, or tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsQuick answers
Questions Oxnard board members ask
Are short-term rentals legal in Oxnard?
With a city permit, yes. Homeshares need the owner on site overnight, and vacation rentals are capped by neighborhood and at 100 days a year. Your CC&Rs are a separate question. More in How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community.
Can our HOA ban short-term rentals near the beach?
Be careful. In the Mandalay Shores case, as the Coastal Commission’s staff report describes it, a state appeals court held that the decision belongs to the city and the Coastal Commission, not the association. Talk with your attorney before you act.
Can an owner park an RV on the street in front of their home?
Not on a city street in a residential zone if it is more than 96 inches high and 240 inches long, or attached to a trailer. Owners get 24 hours to load before, or unload after, a trip out of town. The ban does not cover private HOA streets, where your own rules apply. Call police parking at (805) 385-7748.
Will the city enforce parking on our private streets?
Not the oversized vehicle ban, which covers only roadways the city owns or maintains. We did not confirm whether any other city parking rule reaches private streets. Ask the police department and see How to Set Up a Towing Service in Your Homeowners Association.
When do we have to clear weeds and brush?
By June 1 each year. Call Code Compliance at (805) 385-7940, extension 9, with questions.
Does the state turf law apply to our common areas?
For nonfunctional turf, yes. The city’s page says HOA common areas may not use drinking water on nonfunctional turf starting January 1, 2029. Call Oxnard Water at (805) 385-3905 about rebates.
Is the CFD or landscape district charge part of my HOA dues?
No. Those charges are billed on the property tax bill. Your association does not set or collect them.
Calendar
An Oxnard board’s year
The June 1 weed deadline, the watering days, the rain rule, the landscape district date and the 2029 turf date come from city pages. The other items are general good practice, not legal requirements.
Keep the year on track: use the Board Meeting Checklist and the Annual HOA Budget Checklist.
Who to call
Oxnard contacts for HOA boards
| Office | Phone | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Code Compliance | (805) 385-7940, ext. 9 | Weed abatement, property maintenance, citations |
| Short-term rental hotline | (805) 253-3945 | Reporting a problem short-term rental |
| Business Licensing | (805) 385-7817 | Business licenses |
| Special Districts | (805) 385-7578 | Landscape and community facilities districts |
| Public Works | (805) 385-7900 | General Public Works questions |
| Fire Administration | (805) 385-7722 | Non-emergency fire department business |
| Oxnard Water | (805) 385-8136 | Water service |
| Water Conservation Hotline | (805) 385-3905 | Rebates and watering rules |
| Water emergency (24/7) | (805) 207-0603 | Main breaks and urgent water problems |
| Police non-emergency dispatch | (805) 385-7740 | Vehicles on public streets |
| Police parking | (805) 385-7748 | Parking enforcement questions |
We did not find a separate Fire Prevention phone number on the pages we reviewed. A second city short-term rental page lists a different hotline number, so if the line above does not connect, use the city’s online complaint form. The city’s 311 app takes leak and water-waste reports. For emergencies, call 911.
Keep going
Where to go next on How2HOA
Sources for this guide
These sources open in a new tab.
City of Oxnard: short-term rental portal; short-term rental local ordinances; history of short-term rentals in Oxnard; coastal short-term rental regulations; short-term rental permit renewal certification; short-term rental affidavit; City Code Chapter 16, zoning; Oxnard City Code sections 16-662, 16-663.2 and 17-53; Oxnard City Code sections 8-41 and 8-41.1, commercial and oversized vehicles; Police Department parking enforcement; Police headquarters; Code Compliance; weed abatement notice; Fire Department station locations; fire hazard severity zone map updates; fire hazard severity zone town hall notice; water use restrictions; water conservation; water rebates; non-functional turf; Special Districts; community facilities districts; bonded districts; Landscape Maintenance Districts 101; Resolution No. 16,047 (June 1, 2026); permit application guide.
Other agencies: California Coastal Commission staff report on Oxnard’s coastal short-term rental rules (July 2020); U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Oxnard.
Professional management
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Tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsBrowse all HOA topicsThis page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. City ordinances and state law change, and your association’s governing documents control many of these questions, so check the current code and talk with your association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.