Chapter 5.12
HOTELS AND MOTELS*
* For state law requiring hotel keepers to post rates, see Civil Code § 1863.
Prior legislative history: Prior code §§ 6320 and 6321 as repealed by Ord. 75-29.
Sections:
5.12.010 Application of chapter.
5.12.010 APPLICATION OF CHAPTER.
This chapter shall apply to operators and owners of motels, hotels, motor courts, and any other establishment wherein overnight accommodations are offered for hire, or wherein living accommodations for periods of less than thirty days are customarily offered for hire, where such establishment is located within the city of Santa Cruz.
(Ord. 75-29 § 1 (part), 1975).
5.12.020 REGISTER.
(a) Every person who owns or operates any establishment subject to this chapter shall keep a register of persons who board or lodge in such establishment, in which the owner, manager or other person having the management or control of such establishment shall require any such person boarding or lodging thereat or therein to register his or her name and address, and in which such owner or manager shall enter the number of the apartment or room occupied by such guest.
(b) In registering guests pursuant to subsection (a), the owner, manager or other person having management or control shall require the guest who is registering to verify his or her identification through production of a driver’s license, passport, government-issued identification card or other acceptable proof of identification. The guest register shall record that identification was verified in accordance with this requirement and note the type of documentation which was provided by the guest to verify the guest’s identification. Any owner, manager or other person having management or control who allows a guest to register without verifying the guest’s identification as required by this subsection, or who otherwise violates this chapter, shall be guilty of an infraction.
(c) Guest registries maintained pursuant to this section shall be available for immediate review and inspection upon request by any member of the Santa Cruz police department. Should the owner, manager or other person having management or control not agree to voluntarily produce the guest registry upon receipt of such a request, he or she shall do so upon presentation of a duly executed search warrant authorizing the police department’s review, inspection, reproduction and/or impoundment of the guest registry. An owner, manager or other person in management or control shall not be in violation of this chapter for failure to voluntarily produce the guest registry but shall be in violation for failure to do so immediately upon presentation of a duly executed search warrant requiring the production.
(d) Any person who uses, or attempts to use, false identification in renting a room at an establishment governed by this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction.
(Ord. 2014-01 § 1, 2014: Ord. 2010-16 § 1, 2010: Ord. 75-29 § 1 (part), 1975).
5.12.030 RATE SCHEDULE.
From and after the time when this chapter goes into effect, every person having the management of any establishment subject to this chapter shall post and keep posted on the inside of one of the doors of each room, bedroom or unit rented in such establishment, at all times during which any such room, bedroom or unit is so let or rented, a placard or paper upon which shall be legibly printed or written a statement or schedule of the rates which shall be charged to the person renting such room, bedroom or unit per day, per week and per month; provided, however, that the rate for a longer period of time than such manager would consent to rent any such room to the occupant thereof need not be posted.
(Ord. 75-29 § 1 (part), 1975).