Short-Term Rentals in Redwood City, CA

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.

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).

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.

Noise Rules

Redwood City holds every short-term rental to two noise-related operating standards in Zoning Code § 31.3(D). An unhosted stay needs a local contact person reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, who must respond to complaints within 60 minutes and take remedial action. Weddings, corporate events, commercial functions and similar events that could cause noise, traffic or parking problems are prohibited at the rental property.

Key details: Contact availability: 24 hours per day, 7 days per week during unhosted stays. Complaint response time: Within 60 minutes, then remedial action. Events prohibited: Weddings, corporate events, commercial functions, similar events. Unhosted rental cap: 120 days per calendar year. Host present means: On premises 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m..

A host who breaks a noise standard risks the registration itself. Under § 31.3(G)(1) the City can revoke a short-term rental registration after notice and hearing for any violation of the section or of any provision of the Code, which covers a missed contact response or an event held at the rental. The Zoning Administrator must give written notice of the grounds, served or mailed at least 10 days before the hearing. A host whose registration is revoked has 10 days to file a written appeal to the City Manager or a hearing officer, whose decision is final, and cannot apply for a new registration for 24 months. The printed fines are up to $500 per listing per day for failing to display the license number and up to $1,000 per day per violation for reporting or Chapter 32 tax failures. Repeated violations can lead to suspension or 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 requires no additional parking for a short-term rental, but the host must make the property's existing on-site parking spaces available to short-term renters. The rule is Zoning Code § 31.3(D)(6) and applies to registered principal residences, which can be rented unhosted for no more than 120 days per calendar year.

Key details: Additional parking required: None for a short-term rental. Existing on-site spaces: Must be made available to short-term renters. Unhosted rental cap: 120 days per calendar year. Local contact response: Within 60 minutes, 24 hours a day. Waiting period after revocation: 24 months.

A host who withholds the existing spaces from renters violates the Section, and § 31.3(G) lets the City revoke the registration after written notice and a hearing before the Zoning Administrator, with notice served at least 10 days ahead. A revoked host cannot apply again for 24 months. Failing to display the license number in a listing costs up to $500 per listing per day, and reporting or Chapter 32 tax failures cost up to $1,000 per day per violation.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Redwood City allows short-term rentals only inside a host's principal residence, and the host must register with the City before advertising or renting. The Tax Administrator approves registrations, which run on a fiscal year, cannot be transferred, and require a City-issued license number in every listing. Stays with no host present are capped at 120 days per calendar year.

Key details: Who approves: City Tax Administrator or designee. Unhosted limit: 120 days per calendar year. Short-term stay: Fewer than 30 consecutive calendar days. Registration term: Fiscal year, personal to host, not transferable. Fine, missing license number: Up to $500 per listing per day.

Hosts and hosting platforms face administrative fines of up to $1,000 per day per violation for failing to meet the platform reporting rule or any Chapter 32 taxation requirement, and up to $500 per listing per day for failing to display the license number. The City can revoke a registration after written notice and a hearing for fraud, false statements, or any violation of Section 31.3, the City Code or other law. Repeated violations are grounds for suspending or revoking licenses, and a revoked host cannot reapply for 24 months.

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.

Repeat Violator Strikes

Redwood City does not count numbered strikes against short-term rental hosts. Any violation of the short-term rental section, the City Code, or federal, state or local law is grounds to revoke a host's registration after notice and a hearing. A revoked host is barred from applying again for 24 months, and daily fines run on top.

Key details: Revocation process: Written notice, then a hearing before the Zoning Administrator. Hearing notice: Served at least 10 days before the hearing. Re-application ban: 24 months after a registration is revoked. Appeal deadline: 10 days, in writing, to City Manager or hearing officer. Tax or reporting violations: Up to $1,000 per day per violation.

Fines run separately from revocation. A host or hosting platform that fails to report under subsection H, or breaks any requirement of Municipal Code Chapter 32 (Taxation), faces up to $1,000 per day per violation. Failing to display the City-issued license number in a listing costs up to $500 per listing per day. Hosting platforms must remove or deactivate a listing that lacks a valid license number once the City gives notice. Revocation then closes the door to re-registering for 24 months.

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

Host Platform Liability

Under Redwood City Code § 32.80, a hosting platform and its hosts share one compliance record: compliance by either counts as compliance by both, and noncompliance by either counts as noncompliance by both. A platform that collects the 12% transient occupancy tax must register in its own name, post its certificate on its website, and carry the same duties as any operator.

Key details: Tax rate: 12% of the rent charged (Sec. 32.75). Shared compliance: Compliance or noncompliance by operator or platform counts for both. Platform registration: In its own name, certificate posted on its website, if applicable. Host relief: No separate registration if the platform used has registered. Registration fee: None; the certificate is not a permit (Sec. 32.78).

Noncompliance by either the platform or the operator is noncompliance by both, so a platform that fails to remit exposes its hosts, and the reverse. An operator who misses a remittance owes a ten percent penalty, a second ten percent penalty if the amount is still unpaid thirty days after it first became delinquent, a twenty-five percent penalty when the Tax Administrator finds fraud, and interest of one percent per month (Sec. 32.85). Failing to register, failing to file a return, or filing a false return is a misdemeanor punishable under Section 1.7 of the Code (Sec. 32.90).

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.