Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Berkeley caps short-term rental activity to the host's bona fide primary residence, blocking investor-owned platforms and protecting long-term housing stock under the 2017 ordinance.
Short-Term Rentals in Berkeley, CA (2026)
13 verified short-term rentals rules for Berkeley, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Permit Requirements
Berkeley requires a Short-Term Rental (STR) permit for rentals under 14 consecutive days. STRs are limited to owner-occupied primary residences with a strict 90-day annual cap for un-hosted stays.
Berkeley Short-Term Rental Permit Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsNoise Rules
Short-term rental guests in Berkeley must comply with BMC Chapter 13.40 noise ordinance, including quiet hours from 10 PM to 7 AM on weekdays and 10 PM to 9 AM on weekends.
Berkeley STR Noise Rules
Heavy RestrictionsTaxes & Fees
Berkeley charges a 15.05% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on all short-term rentals, plus a BID assessment. Permit and business license fees also apply.
Berkeley STR Taxes and Fees
Some RestrictionsParking Rules
Berkeley STR hosts must comply with residential permit parking zones and may not cause guest vehicles to overflow onto neighborhood streets beyond existing residential permits.
Berkeley STR Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsOccupancy Limits
Berkeley STR occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus two additional occupants, consistent with California building and housing codes.
Berkeley STR Occupancy Limits
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Health and Safety Code § 17920.3 (substandard buildings)
17920.3. Any building or portion thereof including any dwelling unit, guestroom or suite of rooms, in which there exists any of the following listed conditions to an extent that endangers the life, limb, health, property, safety, or welfare of the public or the occupants shall be deemed and hereby is declared to be a substandard building: (a) Inadequate sanitation shall include, but not be limi...
Insurance Requirements
Berkeley requires STR hosts to carry at least 500,000 dollars in liability insurance covering short-term rental activity, or use a platform that provides equivalent coverage.
Berkeley STR Insurance Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsNight Caps
Berkeley limits un-hosted short-term rentals to 90 nights per calendar year. Hosted stays (where the host remains on-site) have no annual cap.
Berkeley STR Annual Night Cap
Heavy RestrictionsRegistration Rules
Berkeley STR hosts must register annually, display the permit number in every listing, and renew the permit each year with updated occupancy and tax information.
Berkeley STR Registration Rules
Heavy RestrictionsHost Presence Rule
Berkeley requires the permitted host to physically reside on the property for any short-term rental booking under 14 consecutive nights, mirroring its strict primary-residence framework adopted in 2017.
Host Must Be Present During Short-Term Stays
Heavy RestrictionsRepeat Violator Strikes
Berkeley revokes short-term rental permits after three substantiated violations within twelve months, with revoked hosts barred from re-registering for two years under the 2017 ordinance amendments.
Three-Strike Permit Revocation for STR Violations
Heavy RestrictionsHost Platform Liability
Berkeley holds platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo jointly responsible for verifying that every Berkeley listing displays a valid registration number, with daily fines for noncompliant bookings under the 2017 ordinance.
Booking Platforms Liable for Unregistered Listings
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Alameda County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Berkeley city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Alameda County →