Redwood City's Short-Term Rentals: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles short-term rentals a little differently. In Redwood City, California, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Occupancy Limits

Redwood City Municipal Code Chapter 42A limits short-term rental occupancy to two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests per stay, capped at ten guests total. STRs are restricted to the host's primary residence; second homes and investment properties are not permitted. Hosted stays (host on-site) have no annual day cap, while un-hosted stays are limited to 120 nights per calendar year. ADUs are prohibited from STR use unless they were registered with the City before January 1, 2020. Hosts must also designate a local contact who will respond to complaints whenever the host is away.

Key details: Per-Stay Limit: 2 guests per bedroom + 2, max 10 total. Un-hosted Day Cap: 120 nights per year. Hosted Day Cap: Unlimited. Primary Residence Only: Required (no second homes). ADU Restriction: Prohibited unless registered before Jan 1, 2020.

Operating outside Chapter 42A's occupancy or stay-type limits, exceeding ten guests, taking un-hosted bookings beyond 120 nights, hosting in a non-primary-residence, or running an unregistered ADU as an STR, is a violation enforceable by the Community Development Department and Code Enforcement. Sanctions include administrative citations, denial or revocation of the STR registration, and loss of the business license. Failing to collect or remit the 12% TOT is independently subject to back-taxes, penalties, and interest by the Finance Department. Hosting prohibited special events (weddings, corporate retreats) can trigger nuisance enforcement.

This is one of the stricter rules in Redwood City's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Redwood City allows short-term rentals only inside a host's primary residence, defined by physical presence and one per person. Single Room Occupancy Facilities and Group Homes are barred outright, and non-primary-residence rentals are prohibited except for accessory dwelling units registered before January 1, 2020.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Code § 31.3.C. Allowed use: Only in host's primary residence. Excluded uses: SRO facilities and Group Homes barred. ADU carve-out: Pre-2020 registered ADU rentals may continue. Registration required: Before advertising, Section 31.3.E.1.

Operating or advertising a short-term rental at a property that is not the host's primary residence violates Section 31.3.C and is subject to enforcement under Article 50, including administrative citations. It can also bar a subsequent registration for 24 months under Section 31.3.G.4, and the Zoning Administrator may revoke an existing registration for any violation of Section 31.3 following notice and a hearing under Section 31.3.G.1-G.2.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Redwood City actively enforces its primary-residence-only rule requirements.

Host Platform Liability

A hosting platform that signs a voluntary collection agreement with Redwood City takes on 'the same duties and liabilities of the operator' for transient occupancy tax, meaning Airbnb-style platforms can register, collect, and remit the 12% tax on behalf of every host who books solely through them.

Key details: Mechanism: Voluntary collection agreement with the City. Platform liability: Same duties/liabilities as an operator. Registration: Platform registers in its own name. Host exemption: No separate registration if platform is registered. Enforcement: Misdemeanor for false return (Sec. 32.90).

Once a hosting platform has agreed to collect, it faces the same exposure an operator does: a 10% penalty for late remittance, a further 10% after 30 days of delinquency, a 25% fraud penalty, and 1% monthly interest (Section 32.85), plus misdemeanor liability under Section 32.90 for a false or fraudulent return or a failure to register.

Repeat Violator Strikes

A Redwood City short-term rental host whose registration is denied or revoked for fraud, false statements, or any code violation is locked out from reapplying for 24 months under Zoning Code Section 31.3.G, a strike-style repeat-violator rule enforced by the Zoning Administrator after notice and a hearing.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Code § 31.3.G. Waiting period after denial/revocation: 24 months, Section 31.3.G.4. Revocation authority: Zoning Administrator, after notice and hearing. Notice period before hearing: At least 10 days. Appeal deadline: 10 days from the decision.

A revoked or denied host cannot reapply for a Redwood City short-term rental registration for 24 months under Section 31.3.G.4. Continuing to operate after revocation, or committing any of the fraud or code-violation grounds in Section 31.3.G.1, exposes the host to Article 50 enforcement penalties in addition to the waiting period, and denial or revocation decisions can only be challenged through the ten-day administrative appeal in Section 31.3.G.3.

Compared to other cities, Redwood City takes a harder line on repeat violator strikes. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Redwood City requires every host to register a short-term rental with the City before advertising or renting it out. Zoning Code Section 31.3 limits registration to primary residences, excludes Single Room Occupancy facilities and Group Homes, and ties approval to a clean compliance history. The City Manager or a designee decides each application and can deny or later revoke it.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Code Sec. 31.3. Registration required: before advertising or renting. Decision maker: City Manager or designee. Registration term: fiscal year, non-transferable. Reapply wait after denial/revocation: 24 months.

The Zoning Administrator can revoke a registration after written notice and a hearing for fraud or misrepresentation in the application, for false statements made while operating, or for any violation of Section 31.3, the Municipal Code, or state or federal law. A host may appeal a denial or revocation to the City Manager or a hearing officer within ten days. Anyone whose registration is denied or revoked is barred from reapplying for twenty-four months, and Article 50 penalties apply to unregistered operation.

This is one of the stricter rules in Redwood City's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Taxes & Fees

Every short-term rental in Redwood City counts as a 'hotel' under the Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance, so each guest owes a twelve percent tax on the rent charged. Hosts collect the tax unless a hosting platform has signed a voluntary agreement with the City to collect it instead.

Key details: Tax rate: 12% of rent charged. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 32.75. Who collects: host, unless platform has agreement. Registration deadline: within 30 days of renting. Ties to STR permit: renewal needs proof of tax paid.

Failing to collect, remit, or account for transient occupancy tax exposes a host to the general penalty and interest provisions of the Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance, and unpaid tax remains collectible as a debt to the City. Because Section 31.3(E)(6) ties annual short-term rental registration renewal to proof of tax remittance, unpaid transient occupancy tax can also block renewal or trigger revocation of the underlying short-term rental registration under Section 31.3(G).

Noise Rules

Redwood City bans weddings, corporate events, and other commercial functions at short-term rentals whenever they could cause traffic, parking, noise, or similar problems for the neighborhood. Zoning Code Section 31.3(D)(6) treats hosting such an event as a violation of the short-term rental operating standards, regardless of guest count or time of day.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Code Sec. 31.3(D)(6). Banned uses: weddings, corporate events, commercial functions. Trigger: potential for traffic, parking, or noise problems. Complaint response time: 60 minutes, per local contact person. Enforcement: registration revocation after notice and hearing.

Hosting a prohibited special event, or any pattern of noise, parking or traffic complaints tied to short-term rental activity, is a violation of Section 31.3 that the Zoning Administrator can pursue through notice-and-hearing revocation of the short-term rental registration, plus any penalty available under Article 50 (Enforcement). A host also risks losing eligibility to reapply for twenty-four months after a revocation.

Compared to other cities, Redwood City takes a harder line on noise rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Redwood City does not require a short-term rental to add any parking beyond what already exists on the lot. Zoning Code Section 31.3(D)(5) simply requires that existing on-site parking spaces be made available to short-term renters, and the rule leaves the number of spaces required for the dwelling unchanged.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Code Sec. 31.3(D)(5). Additional parking required: none. Existing spaces: must be made available to renters. Related standard: special-event ban covers parking impacts too. Enforcement path: complaint to local contact, then revocation.

Because Section 31.3(D)(5) is written as a floor, not a permit condition with a fixed space count, the main enforcement risk is indirect: a host who lets guest parking spill into the street or onto neighboring properties can trigger complaints handled through the section's twenty-four-hour local contact person requirement, and a pattern of parking complaints can be cited by the Zoning Administrator as grounds to revoke the short-term rental registration under Section 31.3(G) after notice and a hearing.

The rules around short-term rental parking rules in Redwood City lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Redwood City is tougher than many cities when it comes to short-term rentals. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Redwood City, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Redwood City's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.