12 verified short-term rentals rules for San Francisco, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 41A requires all STR hosts to register with the Office of Short-Term Rentals (OSTR) and obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the Treasurer & Tax Collector. Primary residence only; host must occupy the unit at least 275 days per year. ADUs, BMR units, SROs, and dormitories are ineligible. Registration fee is $250 and certificates are valid for two years.
Short-term rental guests in San Francisco must comply with the citywide noise ordinance under Police Code Article 29. Residential noise from amplified sound, voices, or activity may not exceed 5 dBA above ambient at the nearest property line, with a 45 dBA interior limit during the 10 p.m.-7 a.m. quiet period. STR hosts are responsible under Administrative Code Chapter 41A for guest conduct and must respond to neighbor complaints. A persistent pattern of nuisance noise can lead to OSTR enforcement and certificate revocation.
San Francisco imposes a 14% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on rental of accommodations for stays of fewer than 30 nights, collected from guests by the host or platform. Tourism Improvement District (TID) assessments add 2.25% (Zone 1) or 2.00% (Zone 2) on gross room revenue. STR registration with the Office of Short-Term Rentals (OSTR) requires a $250 fee (valid two years), and hosts must also obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the Treasurer & Tax Collector. Hosts using Qualified Website Companies (Airbnb, misterb&b, Interval International) have TOT collected and remitted on their behalf.
San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 41A does not impose dedicated parking requirements on short-term rentals, and the Planning Code does not require off-street parking specifically for STR use beyond what already applies to the underlying residential unit. STR guests parking on the street are subject to all standard SFMTA rules: posted Residential Permit Parking (RPP) time limits, street-cleaning restrictions, the 72-hour vehicle storage limit, and metered zones. RPP areas allow guests to park beyond posted limits only with a valid one-day visitor permit purchased by the host or guest.
California Vehicle Code Sec. 22651 (Authority to Remove Vehicles — 72-Hour Rule and Local Parking Ordinances)
22651. A peace officer... or a regularly employed and salaried employee who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations of a city, county, or jurisdiction of a state agency in which a vehicle is located may remove a vehicle located within the territorial limits in which the officer or employee may act, under the following circumstances: ... (k) If a vehicle is park...
San Francisco STR occupancy is governed by Housing Code maximum-occupancy rules plus Admin Code Chapter 41A. Generally 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional, capped by square footage, and STRs cannot exceed the dwelling unit's legal occupancy.
California Health and Safety Code Sec. 17920.3 (State Housing Law — Substandard Building Definition, Room Dimensions)
17920.3. Any building or portion thereof, regardless of zoning designation or approved uses of the building, 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 occupants of the building, nearby residents, or the public shall be deemed and he...
San Francisco Admin Code Chapter 41A requires short-term rental hosts to carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance or to rent exclusively through a platform (Airbnb, VRBO) that provides equivalent host-protection coverage.
San Francisco Admin Code Chapter 41A caps un-hosted (whole-unit) short-term rentals at 90 nights per calendar year. Hosted rentals with the permanent resident present have no night cap. Registration with the Office of Short-Term Rentals is mandatory.
All short-term rentals in San Francisco must register with the Office of Short-Term Rentals under Admin Code Chapter 41A. Registration requires proof of permanent residency (275+ days/year), liability insurance, business registration, and a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate.
San Francisco distinguishes hosted stays (host present overnight) from unhosted stays (host absent). Unhosted rentals are capped at 90 nights yearly while hosted stays have no annual cap, encouraging genuine home sharing over de facto hotels.
San Francisco bars short-term rentals unless the unit is the host's primary residence. Hosts must occupy the home at least 275 nights per year and register with the Office of Short-Term Rentals before listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any platform.
Hosts cited three times within five years for Section 41A violations face permanent revocation of their STR registration and a lifetime ban from re-registering at any San Francisco address, alongside escalating fines on each strike.
Airbnb, Vrbo, and any STR platform operating in San Francisco must verify each listing has a valid OSTR registration number before processing bookings. Platforms face direct fines for hosting unregistered listings, shifting enforcement burden from individual hosts.