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🏠 Short-Term Rentals/Night Caps

Night Caps: San Jose vs Sunnyvale

How do night caps rules compare between San Jose, CA and Sunnyvale, CA?

San Jose and Sunnyvale have similar restriction levels.

San Jose, CA

Santa Clara County

Heavy Restrictions

San Jose caps unhosted short-term rentals at 180 nights per calendar year under Municipal Code Chapter 20.80. Hosted rentals, where the operator remains on-site, have no night limit. The city tracks occupancy through platform data-sharing agreements and complaint-based audits.

View full San Jose rules β†’

Sunnyvale, CA

Santa Clara County

Heavy Restrictions

Unhosted nights are effectively zero in Sunnyvale because only hosted STRs are allowed. Hosts must be on-site during the entire guest stay under SMC 19.76.

View full Sunnyvale rules β†’

Key Facts Comparison

FactSan JoseSunnyvale
--
Unhosted Nights-0 per year
Host Presence-Required every night
Duplex Exception-Owner in other unit
Fine-Starting 500 dollars per night
Code-SMC 19.76

Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.

San Jose FAQ

Sunnyvale FAQ

Can I have a property manager stay on-site instead of me?

No. The ordinance requires the host as their primary residence. A paid manager does not satisfy the hosted requirement.

What counts as proof of primary residency?

Drivers license, voter registration, utility bills, and tax returns showing the address are all accepted by the Community Development Department.

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