(a) For purposes of this section, “hotel” means any hotel, motel, bed and breakfast inn, or other similar transient lodging establishment, but it shall not include any residential hotel as defined in Section 50519 of the Health and Safety Code. “Innkeeper” means the owner or operator of a hotel, or the duly authorized agent or employee of the owner or operator.
(b) For purposes of this section, “guest” means, and is specifically limited to, an occupant of a hotel whose occupancy is exempt, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1940, from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1940) of Title 5 of Part 4 of Division 3.
(c) In addition to, and not in derogation of, any other provision of law, every innkeeper shall have the right to evict a guest in the manner specified in this subdivision if the guest refuses or otherwise fails to fully depart the guest room at or before the innkeeper’s posted checkout time on the date agreed to by the guest, but only if both of the following conditions are met:
(1) If the guest is provided written notice, at the time that he or she was received and provided accommodations by the innkeeper, that the innkeeper needs that guest’s room to accommodate an arriving person with a contractual right thereto, and that if the guest fails to fully depart at the time agreed to the innkeeper may enter the guest’s guest room, take possession of the guest’s property, re-key the door to the guest room, and make the guest room available to a new guest. The written notice shall be signed by the guest.
(2) At the time that the innkeeper actually undertakes to evict the guest as specified in this subdivision, the innkeeper in fact has a contractual obligation to provide the guest room to an arriving person.
In the above cases, the innkeeper may enter the guest’s guest room, take possession of the guest’s property, re-key the door to the guest room, and make the guest room available to a new guest. The evicted guest shall be entitled to immediate possession of his or her property upon request therefor, subject to the rights of the innkeeper pursuant to Sections 1861 to 1861.28, inclusive.
(d) As pertains to a minor, the rights of an innkeeper include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Where a minor unaccompanied by an adult seeks accommodations, the innkeeper may require a parent or guardian of the minor, or another responsible adult, to assume, in writing, full liability for any and all proper charges and other obligations incurred by the minor for accommodations, food and beverages, and other services provided by or through the innkeeper, as well as for any and all injuries or damage caused by the minor to any person or property.
(2) Where a minor is accompanied by an adult, the innkeeper may require the adult to agree, in writing, not to leave any minor 12 years of age or younger unattended on the innkeeper’s premises at any time during their stay, and to control the minor’s behavior during their stay so as to preserve the peace and quiet of the innkeeper’s other guests and to prevent any injury to any person and damage to any property.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 38. Effective January 1, 2005.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018