Rohnert Park HOA Guide: Local Rules for Boards and Owners

Rohnert Park regulates short-term rentals in Municipal Code section 17.07.230, adopted January 27, 2026 (Ordinance No. 991). The code defines a short-term rental as lodging for less than thirty days, and the limits are tight:

• An administrative use permit is required. Short-term rentals are allowed in all residential districts.
• No more than one bedroom of a primary dwelling unit may be rented.
• A stay may run no more than fourteen consecutive days.
• Short-term rentals are prohibited in accessory dwelling units and accessory structures.
• The operator needs a city business license and liability insurance, owes transient occupancy tax and must put the permit number in every advertisement.

Section 1.16.010 sets fines for short-term rental violations that threaten public health or safety: up to $1,500 for a first violation, $3,000 for a second and $5,000 for each one after that within a year. A city permit does not override your CC&Rs. California Civil Code section 4741 limits how far an association can restrict rentals generally, but it does not stop an association from prohibiting rentals of 30 days or less.

The city’s rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior ADUs are in Municipal Code section 17.08.040, adopted with the same January 2026 ordinance. The main standards:

• Size: up to 850 square feet for an ADU with one bedroom or less, 1,000 square feet with two or more bedrooms and 500 square feet for a junior ADU.
• A detached ADU needs four-foot side and rear setbacks. No parking is required.
• No ADU or junior ADU may be rented for fewer than thirty consecutive days.

On the HOA side, the state housing department’s ADU Handbook explains that Civil Code section 4751 voids CC&Rs and rules that effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict an ADU or junior ADU on a lot zoned for single-family use. An association can still apply reasonable restrictions, which cannot include fees. Your architectural review is a separate step from the city permit.

The street parking rules are in Chapter 10.40, and the nuisance list covers private lots:

These rules are written for public streets. Chapter 10.53 applies the Vehicle Code to one named private roadway, part of Meadow Pines Avenue. If your association owns its streets, parking is governed mainly by your own rules and state towing law, so ask Public Safety at (707) 584-2600 what the city will enforce inside your community.

Rohnert Park runs its own water system. The city says about 70% of the water comes from Sonoma Water, mostly from the Russian River, and about 30% from city groundwater wells. The city lists itself at Level 1 (voluntary compliance) and has removed its time-of-day watering restrictions. Some rules apply all the time:

• No watering turf or ornamental landscapes during measurable rainfall of a quarter inch or more, or within 48 hours after it.
• No irrigation that causes excessive runoff or unreasonable overspray (section 13.05.020).
• No hosing down sidewalks, driveways or parking lots, with exceptions for health and safety.
• Leaks on the customer’s side must be fixed within 72 hours of discovery or city notice.

Two points matter for the budget. First, the city lists its Cash for Grass rebate ($1 per square foot, up to $1,000) as residential only, for an owner who is a city water customer. Do not count on it for common area unless the city confirms at (707) 585-6750. Second, decorative lawn in common area is on a clock. The city’s conservation page already says watering decorative grass is not allowed in commercial, industrial and institutional areas, including HOA common areas. The State Water Board’s guidance on AB 1572 gives January 1, 2029 as the date the ban on using drinking water for nonfunctional turf reaches homeowners associations. Grass people use, such as a play field, counts as functional. Call the city’s water line at (707) 588-3343 about your turf today.

Chapter 17.15 of the zoning code protects trees on private property. No one may alter, remove or relocate a tree that is not exempt without a tree removal permit from the city. A tree is a woody plant with a trunk 4 inches or more in diameter, or several trunks totaling 8 inches or more, measured 4.5 feet above grade. An application needs a site plan, photographs and an arborist’s report, and approved removals must be replaced or paid for with an in-lieu fee. The main exemptions:

• Trees on a residential lot that is fully developed with a detached single-family residence.
• Pruning to professional standards that removes no more than one-third of the canopy.
• Trees a city official finds to be an imminent threat to public health or safety.
• Street trees, which fall under Chapter 12.24 on public tree care.

The single-family exemption does not mention common area, condominium grounds or townhome lots. Treat a common area tree as protected and call Planning at (707) 588-2231 before you sign a removal contract.

Chapter 8.08 makes every property owner responsible for destroying weeds that are a fire menace. Each year the City Council declares the weeds a nuisance by resolution and holds a spring public hearing for objections. The city says the deadline to mow typically falls between May 1 and June 30, and owners may need to mow more than once.

An inspection follows the deadline. If the work is not done, the city can do it and bill the owner for equipment and labor. Under the code the cost becomes a special assessment on the property, due within thirty days of confirmation, with a 10% penalty if late. For an association, the places to watch are open space, drainage corridors and vacant pads.

On wildfire, the City Council adopted the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map by Ordinance No. 987 on May 27, 2025. The state’s map for Rohnert Park is dated February 24, 2025. Look up your addresses on it, then ask Public Safety at (707) 584-2600 what a designation means for your buildings and landscaping.

The noise rules are in Chapter 9.44:

Your rules can set shorter work hours. Write the hours into vendor contracts either way.