10 verified short-term rentals rules for Pleasanton, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pleasanton does not license whole-home Airbnb-style short-term rentals. Rentals of less than 30 days are not an allowed residential use; the only permitted overnight-lodging pathway in residential zones is a small bed and breakfast (3-5 guest rooms) or bed and breakfast inn (6-15 rooms), each of which requires a discretionary conditional use permit under the Title 18 zoning code.
Pleasanton has no short-term-rental-specific quiet-hours schedule because whole-home STRs are not a permitted use. Guests at any code-recognized bed and breakfast - and occupants generally - are subject to the citywide noise regulations in Municipal Code Chapter 9.04, which set decibel limits and a daytime exemption window roughly between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Pleasanton levies a transient occupancy tax under Municipal Code Chapter 3.32 on guests staying 30 days or less. The city's TOT rate is 8 percent, in place since 1983 and among the lowest in Alameda County. A November 2026 ballot measure proposes raising it to 10 percent (July 2027) then 12 percent (July 2028).
Pleasanton requires off-street parking for bed-and-breakfast operations under its off-street parking chapter. At least two parking spaces, one of which must be covered, must be provided for the residents of small bed and breakfasts and bed and breakfast inns. Parking is reviewed as part of the conditional use permit so guest parking does not spill into the neighborhood.
Because whole-home short-term rentals are not a permitted residential use, Pleasanton's overnight-lodging caps come from its bed-and-breakfast definitions. A small bed and breakfast is limited to between three and five guest sleeping rooms; a bed and breakfast inn is limited to between six and 15 guest sleeping rooms. These caps are set in Municipal Code Chapter 18.08.
Pleasanton's Municipal Code does not publish a specific liability-insurance dollar amount for short-term rentals, because the city has no whole-home STR program. Insurance for a permitted bed and breakfast is handled through the conditional-use and business-license process and standard commercial-lodging coverage, rather than a code-mandated minimum coverage figure visible in the public code.
Pleasanton imposes no per-year night cap on vacation rentals because whole-home short-term rentals are not a permitted use. The controlling line is the 30-day threshold: under-30-day rental of an entire dwelling is not allowed, and the transient occupancy tax under Chapter 3.32 applies to stays of 30 days or less. A permitted bed and breakfast operates year-round under its conditional use permit.
There is no standalone short-term rental registry in Pleasanton. Instead of registering a vacation rental, a host must obtain a discretionary conditional use permit for a bed and breakfast under Chapter 18.124, complete a zoning compliance review, secure a city business license from the Finance Department, and register to collect and remit the city's transient occupancy tax.
Pleasanton's permitted residential lodging is effectively hosted. Because small bed and breakfasts must be owner-occupied under Chapter 18.124, the operator lives on-site while guests stay - functioning as a host-presence requirement. Unhosted, entire-home short-term rentals are not a permitted use, so there is no remote-host vacation-rental pathway in the city.
Pleasanton effectively requires owner occupancy for residential overnight lodging. The Municipal Code states that small bed and breakfasts must be owner-occupied, and a small bed and breakfast may locate in the R-1 district only with a conditional use permit and a finding that it will not erode neighborhood character. There is no pathway for a non-owner-occupied whole-home short-term rental.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Pleasanton city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Alameda County →