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Livermore, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Pre-2020 ADUs: Qualify with certificate of occupancy
Post-2020 permit ADUs: Banned from short-term rental use
Permits per host: One at a time citywide
Renters: One at a time per unit
Rentals per address: Only one allowed
Disqualified locations: Vehicles, tents, sheds, garages

Summary

Livermore bars short-term rentals in any accessory dwelling unit permitted on or after January 1, 2020; only ADUs that got a building permit before that date, followed by a certificate of occupancy, may host overnight guests for stays of 30 days or less.

Short-term rentals are permitted only in the following: 1. Legal conforming and legal nonconforming permanent dwelling units within residential districts; and 2. Accessory dwelling units for which a building permit was issued prior to January 1, 2020, and a certificate of occupancy was subsequently issued... No person shall operate a short-term rental in an accessory dwelling unit that obtained a building permit on or after January 1, 2020. D. Hosts shall be limited to one short-term rental permit at any one time in the City... F. No more than one short-term rental may be operated at a single location.

View official code

Full Breakdown

' The chapter layers further limits on top of the ADU cutoff: (D) caps each host at one short-term rental permit citywide at any time, (E) bars renting the same dwelling to more than one renter simultaneously, and (F) prohibits operating more than one short-term rental at a single address. Subsection (B) separately forbids short-term rental use of any location not approved as a permanent dwelling unit, listing vehicles, trailers, tents, storage sheds, and garages as examples. Together these rules mean an ADU built or permitted since 2020, Livermore's newest and fastest-growing accessory-unit stock, cannot be marketed as an Airbnb or similar rental no matter how it is otherwise legal, while an older, pre-2020 ADU with a certificate of occupancy can qualify like any other dwelling unit in a residential district.

Violations & Fines

Advertising or operating a short-term rental in a disqualified location, including a post-2020 ADU, violates § 5.90.120(A)(2) and is treated as a public nuisance under § 5.90.120(C). The Director can deny, suspend, or revoke the permit under § 5.90.140, and the City may pursue administrative citations under Chapter 1.20, with fines starting at $100 per day, or civil abatement under Chapter 8.15.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I list my backyard ADU as an Airbnb in Livermore?

Only if the ADU's building permit was issued before January 1, 2020, and it later received a certificate of occupancy, per LMC § 5.90.050(A)(2). If the ADU's building permit came on or after that date, § 5.90.050(C) flatly bars short-term rental use of that unit, regardless of its size or condition.

Why does the cutoff date matter for ADUs?

The City drew the line at January 1, 2020, to separate older accessory units already integrated into the housing stock from the wave of ADUs built after the state loosened permitting rules; § 5.90.050(C) reserves newer units for long-term housing rather than nightly rentals.

Can I have both my main house and my ADU as separate short-term rentals?

No. LMC § 5.90.050(D) limits each host to one short-term rental permit at any time citywide, and (F) prohibits operating more than one short-term rental at a single address, so a host cannot run simultaneous listings in the primary home and an accessory unit.

Sources & Official References

[1]Livermore Municipal Code, Chapter 5.90 Short-Term Rentals

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All Livermore rules

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