Short-Term Rentals in Redwood City, CA (2026)

8 verified short-term rentals rules for Redwood City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

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.

Redwood City Short-Term Rental Registration Rules

Significant Restrictions

Redwood City Zoning Code Sec. 31.3(C), (E)(1)

Permitted Use. Short-term rental uses shall be permitted in any principal residence except Single Room Occupancy Facilities and Group Homes subject to the requirements of this Section, including compliance with the operating standards, registration, Transient Occupancy Tax payments, and recordkeeping obligations. Except as provided for in this Section, all other short-term rental uses shall be ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City Short-Term Rental Noise Rules

Significant Restrictions

Redwood City Zoning Code § 31.3(A)(2), (D)(5), (D)(7)

Preserve residential character and establish operating standards to reduce potential noise, parking, traffic, property maintenance and safety impacts on adjacent neighbors; ... Local Contact Person. Hosts shall identify to all guests and all occupants of adjacent properties a local contact person to be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week during the term of any unho...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City Short-Term Rental Tax Rate

Some Restrictions

Redwood City Code Sec. 32.71, Sec. 32.75

HOTEL: ... A hotel also includes a short-term rental as provided for in Section 31.3 of the Redwood City Zoning Ordinance. ... Sec. 32.75. - IMPOSITION; AMOUNT; WHERE PAYABLE: For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of twelve percent (12%) of the rent charged by the operator. Said tax constitutes a debt owed by the transient to...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Some Restrictions

Redwood City Zoning Code § 31.3(D)(6)

Operating Standards. The following operating standards shall apply to short-term rentals: ... 5. Local Contact Person. Hosts shall identify to all guests and all occupants of adjacent properties a local contact person to be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week during the term of any unhosted stay. ... 6. Parking. No additional parking shall be required for short-ter...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City STR Occupancy Limits

Heavy Restrictions

California Health & Safety Code § 17920.3

(l) All buildings or portions thereof not provided with adequate exit facilities as required by this code, except those buildings or portions thereof whose exit facilities conformed with all applicable laws at the time of their construction and that have been adequately maintained and increased in relation to any increase in occupant load, alteration or addition, or any change in occupancy.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City STR Primary Residence Rule

Significant Restrictions

Redwood City Zoning Code § 31.3.C

C. Permitted Use. Short-term rental uses shall be permitted in any principal residence except Single Room Occupancy Facilities and Group Homes subject to the requirements of this Section, including compliance with the operating standards, registration, Transient Occupancy Tax payments, and recordkeeping obligations. Except as provided for in this Section, all other short-term rental uses shall ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City Short-Term Rental Revocation and Repeat Violations

Significant Restrictions

Redwood City Zoning Code § 31.3(E)(4)(b)-(c), (G)(1), (G)(4), (G)(6)(b)

The subject principal residence is not the subject of an active compliance order or administrative citation from the City in the past twelve (12) months; and ... A short-term rental registration for the principal residence has not been revoked in the prior twenty-four-month period. ... Revocation of Registration. A short-term rental registration issued under the provisions of this Section may b...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Redwood City Hosting Platform Tax Liability

Some Restrictions

Redwood City Code § 32.80

Compliance with the provisions of this Article by either the operator or the hosting platform shall be considered to be compliance by both, and noncompliance by either shall be considered noncompliance by both. Specifically, all hosting platforms collecting the transient occupancy tax shall have the same obligations as any operator under Section 32.78 when collecting on behalf of any operator. ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for San Mateo County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Redwood City city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in San Mateo County →