10 verified short-term rentals rules for Cupertino, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Cupertino requires anyone hosting stays of 30 nights or less to register the short-term rental with the City and obtain a Business License Certification before operating. The rules were adopted by ordinance on September 15, 2020 and codified as Cupertino Municipal Code Chapter 5.08.
Cupertino short-term rentals must observe quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and follow the City's general noise ordinance. The operator's guest manual must state the quiet hours and noise rules, and a local contact must respond to complaints within 60 minutes.
Cupertino levies a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax on stays of 30 nights or shorter, including cleaning fees, under Municipal Code Chapter 3.12. Airbnb collects and remits the tax for bookings on its platform; operators using other channels must collect and remit it themselves.
A Cupertino short-term rental must provide the minimum parking spaces required by its zoning district and designate at least one on-site parking space for the rental. The operator must also keep a license-plate registry of guest vehicles.
Cupertino limits short-term rental guest occupancy to two times the number of bedrooms in the unit, or two guests for a studio. The limit is set in the short-term rental standards of Municipal Code Section 5.08.030.
Cupertino's short-term rental ordinance (CMC Chapter 5.08) does not set out a specific liability-insurance amount or a proof-of-insurance mandate in its published requirements. Some third-party guides claim insurance is required, but that is unverified against the code; hosts should confirm current requirements with the City.
Cupertino caps unhosted short-term rental stays at 60 nights per year, while hosted stays have no annual night limit. Only one rental agreement is allowed per night, and the rental must be the operator's primary residence.
Every Cupertino short-term rental must be registered with the City, and the operator must prove the unit is their primary residence. Registration is applied for through the City's short-term rental portal, and compliance records must be kept for three years.
Cupertino allows both hosted and unhosted short-term rental stays, but unhosted stays (no host or operator on site) are capped at 60 nights per year. The operator must always provide a local contact who can respond to complaints within 60 minutes.
Cupertino permits short-term rentals only in the operator's primary residence. Second homes, vacation properties, and non-owner-occupied units are not eligible, and the operator must document primary-residence status at registration.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cupertino city rules.
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