10 verified short-term rentals rules for Alameda, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
The City of Alameda has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental permit. As of 2026 there is no STR-specific license; hosts instead need a general City business license and zoning sign-off, and must collect the 14% Transient Occupancy Tax. A draft STR ordinance has been in development since early 2025 but is not yet in force.
Alameda has no STR-specific noise clause, but short-term rentals must comply with the City's general Noise Regulations in the Alameda Municipal Code (Chapter IV, Offenses and Public Safety, Article II). These prohibit noise disturbances across residential property lines, including loud music and certain late-night activity between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Short-term rentals in the City of Alameda are subject to the City's 14% Transient Occupancy Tax on stays of 30 nights or fewer, charged on the listing price including cleaning fees. Hosts also pay for a City business license. Airbnb collects and remits Alameda's TOT on behalf of hosts; other-platform and direct bookings must be filed with the City.
Alameda imposes no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement, since it has no dedicated STR ordinance. STR guests are subject to the same on-street parking, residential permit, and zoning parking standards as anyone else. The City's draft STR ordinance could add parking conditions, but none has been adopted.
Alameda's Municipal Code sets no short-term-rental-specific occupancy cap, because the City has no dedicated STR ordinance. Guest occupancy is governed instead by general building, housing, and zoning standards. Occupancy limits for STRs were among the topics the Planning Board flagged for the draft ordinance, but no STR guest-count rule has been adopted.
Alameda's code imposes no short-term-rental-specific insurance or liability-coverage requirement, because the City has no dedicated STR ordinance. Hosts are not required by City code to carry a minimum liability policy. Platform-provided coverage (such as Airbnb's host protection) and a host's own insurance are the practical safeguards.
Alameda imposes no annual night cap or rental-day limit on short-term rentals, because it has no dedicated STR ordinance. There is no maximum number of nights a property may be rented per year. The Planning Board considered capping annual rental days for unhosted units in 2025, but called day limits 'not a high priority' and adopted nothing.
Alameda has no STR-specific registry. A host registers indirectly by obtaining a City business license from the Finance Department, submitting a Zoning Clearance form to the Permit Center, and obtaining a Home Occupation Permit when operating from a residence. A dedicated STR registration program is part of the draft ordinance under development but not yet adopted.
Alameda currently has no host-presence (hosted-stay) requirement for short-term rentals, because no dedicated STR ordinance is in force. Whole-home, unhosted rentals are not prohibited by current code. However, the Planning Board signaled in 2025 that it prefers hosted and semi-hosted rentals, so a host-presence rule may appear in a future ordinance.
Alameda does not require a short-term rental to be the host's primary residence, because it has no dedicated STR ordinance. Both owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied STRs operate under the same general business-license and tax baseline. A primary-residence or 'hosted' framework is being considered in the City's draft ordinance but is not yet law.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Alameda city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Alameda County →