Except where the context otherwise requires, the definitions given in this section govern the construction of this article.
(a) Person. “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, social club, fraternal organization, joint stock company, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, trustee, syndicate or any other group or combination acting as a unit.
(b) Hotel. “Hotel” means any structure, or any portion of any structure, which is occupied or intended or designed for occupancy by transients for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes, and includes any hotel, inn, tourist home or house, Short-Term Rental as defined in Section 12.22 A.31. of this Code, Home- Sharing as defined in Section 12.03 of this Code, motel, studio, hotel, bachelor hotel, lodging house, rooming house, apartment house, dormitory, public or private club, or other similar structure or portion thereof, and shall further include any trailer court, camp, park or lot where trailer spaces, or combinations of such spaces and trailers, including mobile homes, are occupied or intended or designed for occupancy by transients for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,931, Eff. 7/1/19.)
(c) Occupancy. “Occupancy” means the use or possession, or the right to the use or possession of any room or rooms or space or portion thereof, in any hotel for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes. The use or possession or right to use or possess any room or any suite of connecting rooms as office space, banquet or private dining rooms, or exhibit, sample or display space shall not be considered “occupancy” within the meaning of this definition unless the person exercising occupancy uses or possesses, or has the right to use or possess all or any portion of such room or suite of rooms for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes.
(d) Transient. (Amended by Ord. No. 164,961, Eff. 7/24/89, Oper. 8/1/89.) “Transient” means:
1. Any person, other than an individual, who exercises occupancy or is entitled to occupancy by reason of concession, permit, right of access, license or other agreement, for any period of time, or
2. Any individual who personally exercises occupancy or is entitled to occupancy by reason of concession, permit, right of access, license or other agreement, for a period of 30 consecutive calendar days or less, counting portions of calendar days as full days. Any such individual so occupying space in a hotel shall be deemed to be a transient until the period of 30 days has expired unless there is an agreement in writing between the operator and the occupant providing for a longer period of occupancy.
Nothing in this definition or in this article shall be construed as prohibiting the operator of a hotel from refunding or making an allowance of credit to a person who has paid tax as required by this article where it is established that the person was not a “transient” as defined in this section or was exempt from the tax for any other reason, or had for any reason overpaid the tax.
(e) Rent. “Rent” means the consideration charged, whether or not received, for the occupancy of space in a hotel valued in money, whether to be received in money, goods, labor or otherwise, including all receipts, cash, credits and property and services of any kind or nature, without any deduction therefrom whatsoever. Nothing in this definition shall be construed to mean that rent is charged directly or indirectly for the occupancy of space in a hotel when that space is provided to the occupant as a compliment from the operator and where no consideration is charged to or received from any other person.
(f) Operator. “Operator” means the person who is either the proprietor of the hotel or any other person who has the right to rent rooms within the hotel, whether in the capacity of owner, lessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee or any other capacity. The owner or proprietor who is primarily responsible for operation of the hotel shall be deemed to be the principal operator. If the principal operator performs or assigns its functions, in whole or in part, through a managing agent, a booking agent, a room seller or room reseller, or any other agent or contractee, including but not limited to Hosting Platforms as defined in 12.03 of this Code, on-line room sellers, on-line room resellers, and on-line travel agents, of any type or character other than an employee, those persons shall be deemed to be secondary operators. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,931, Eff. 7/1/19.)
A secondary operator shall be deemed an operator for purposes of this article and shall have the same duties and liabilities as the principal operator, including, but not limited to, the collection and remittance of the full amount of the tax owed under the provisions of this article to the City. A secondary operator may satisfy its obligations under the provisions of this article by submitting the full amount of tax due under this article, with credit for any taxes remitted to any other operator, either directly to the Director of Finance or through the principal operator. (Amended by Ord. No. 187,778, Eff. 4/10/23.)
Compliance with the provisions of this article by either the principal operator or the secondary operator shall be deemed compliance by both and no provision of this article shall be deemed to require the payment and/or remittance of any amount other than the full amount of the tax owed by the transient.