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Short-Term Rentals in San Francisco, CA (2026)

10 verified short-term rentals rules for San Francisco, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

San Francisco requires the Permanent Resident of a unit to register it on the Short-Term Residential Rental Registry for a two-year term, pay a $50 fee, and receive an individual registration number from the Planning Department before hosting short-term guests.

SF Short-Term Rental Registry Rules

Significant Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.5(g)(3)(A)

Registration shall be for a two-year term, which may be renewed by the Permanent Resident by filing a completed renewal application. Initial and renewal applications shall be in a form prescribed by the Department. ... Upon the Department's determination that an application is complete, the unit shall be entered into the Short-Term Residential Rental Registry and assigned an individual registra...

Taxes & Fees

San Francisco Short-Term Rental Hosts must file Transient Occupancy Tax and Tourism Improvement District Assessment returns annually, or have a Qualified Website Company like Airbnb remit the tax monthly on their behalf.

San Francisco STR Occupancy Tax Filing Rules

Some Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Business and Tax Regulations Code Sec. 6.9-1(d)(5)(A)

For tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2024, a Short-Term Rental Host ... shall timely file a Transient Occupancy Tax return and Tourism Improvement District Assessment return with the Tax Collector and remit Transient Occupancy Taxes and Tourism Improvement District Assessments annually in lieu of the monthly returns and remittances required under Section 6.9-1(d)(1) ... All returns ...

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

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.

San Francisco STR Parking Rules

Few Restrictions

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...

Occupancy Limits

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.

STR Occupancy Limits in San Francisco

Some Restrictions

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...

Insurance Requirements

San Francisco hosts must carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance for their short-term rental, or book only through a platform that provides equal or greater coverage, to stay on the Registry.

SF STR $500,000 Insurance Mandate

Some Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.5(g)(1)(D)

The Permanent Resident maintains liability insurance appropriate to cover the Short-Term Residential Rental Use in the aggregate of not less than $500,000 or conducts each Short-Term Residential Rental transaction through a Hosting Platform that provides equal or greater coverage. Such coverage shall defend and indemnify the Owner(s), as named additional insured, and any tenant(s) in the buildi...

Night Caps

San Francisco caps unhosted short-term rental days indirectly: a Permanent Resident must occupy the unit at least 275 days a year, leaving at most about 90 days available for short-term rental.

SF Short-Term Rental 275-Day Rule

Some Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.5(g)(1)(A)

The Permanent Resident occupies the Residential Unit for no less than 275 days out of the calendar year in which the Residential Unit is rented as a Short-Term Residential Rental or, if the Permanent Resident has not rented or owned the Residential Unit for the full preceding calendar year, for no less than 75% of the days he or she has owned or rented the Residential Unit;          (B)   The P...

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

San Francisco law only lets a Permanent Resident short-term rent the home that is their actual Primary Residence -- investment properties and second homes can never be registered as short-term rentals.

SF STRs Limited to Primary Residence

Significant Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.5(g)(1)

Notwithstanding the restrictions set forth in this Section 41A.5, a Permanent Resident may offer his or her Primary Residence as a Short-Term Residential Rental if:          (A)   The Permanent Resident occupies the Residential Unit for no less than 275 days out of the calendar year in which the Residential Unit is rented as a Short-Term Residential Rental or, if the Permanent Resident has not ...

Extended Home Share

San Francisco's Short-Term Rental law only covers stays booked for under 30 days; a 30-day-or-longer booking is an ordinary tenancy that skips Chapter 41A's registry, permit, and night-cap rules entirely.

SF Extended Stays Exempt From STR Rules

Few Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.4 (Definitions — "Tourist or Transient Use")

Tourist or Transient Use. Any use of a Residential Unit for occupancy for less than a 30-day term of tenancy, or occupancy for less than 30 days of a Residential Unit leased or owned by a Business Entity, whether on a short-term or long-term basis, including any occupancy by employees or guests of a Business Entity for less than 30 days where payment for the Residential Unit is contracted for o...

Repeat Violator Strikes

A second short-term rental violation by the same owner triggers double the fine of a first offense, plus a one-year registry ban.

SF STR Repeat Violation Penalties

Significant Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.6(d)(1)(B), (d)(2)

For the second and any subsequent violation by the same Owner(s), Business Entity, or Hosting Platform, not more than eight times the standard hourly administrative rate of $121 for: (i) each unlawfully converted unit per day from the notice of violation until such time as the unlawful activity terminates... In the event of multiple violations of any Owner's or Business Entity's obligations und...

Host Platform Liability

San Francisco holds Hosting Platforms like Airbnb legally responsible for confirming a listing's Registry status, and a platform that books an unregistered unit faces civil penalties and misdemeanor criminal liability under Chapter 41A.

SF Hosting Platform Liability Rules

Significant Restrictions

San Francisco, CA, Administrative Code § 41A.5(g)(4)(C)

A Hosting Platform may provide, and collect a fee for, Booking Services in connection with short-term rentals for Residential Units located in the City and County of San Francisco only when the Hosting Platform exercises reasonable care to confirm that those Residential Units are lawfully registered on the Short-Term Residential Rental Registry at the time the Residential Unit is rented for sho...