Sunnyvale, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SMC § 19.76.060
- Must disclose
- TOT obligations and chapter rules to listers
- Must notify host
- Immediately after a city violation notice
- Must deactivate listing
- Immediately after a revocation notice
- Records retention
- 5 years, produced on lawful request
Summary
Hosting platforms listing Sunnyvale short-term rentals must disclose tax and chapter requirements to hosts, notify hosts of city-reported violations, deactivate listings immediately after a revocation, and retain transaction records for five years under Section 19.76.060.
Hosting platforms shall provide the following information to any user listing a short-term rental located within the city through the hosting platform's service: (1) Information regarding transient occupancy tax obligations; (2) All requirements of this chapter regulating short term rentals. (b) Hosting Platforms shall take immediate action to notify the host upon notification by the city of a violation of this chapter. (c) Hosting platforms shall take immediate action to deactivate an advertisement upon notification by the city of a revocation of approval pursuant to Section 19.76.070. (d) Hosting platforms shall keep and maintain records of all short-term rentals and transactions taking place in the city for no less than five years which shall be promptly made available to the city pursuant to a lawful request.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4856529; v14 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
060 places four affirmative duties directly on hosting platforms rather than on individual hosts. 76's requirements for short-term rentals. Second, if the city notifies the platform of a violation of the chapter, the platform must take immediate action to notify the host. 070, the platform must take immediate action to deactivate the advertisement. Fourth, platforms must keep and maintain records of every short-term rental transaction occurring in the city for no less than five years and promptly produce those records when the city makes a lawful request.
040(a)(12), which requires every advertisement to display the host's individual approval number so both the platform and the city can verify compliance at a glance.
Violations & Fines
A hosting platform that fails to deactivate a listing after a city revocation notice, fails to notify the host of a reported violation, or fails to produce five years of transaction records on lawful request is facilitating a noncompliant short-term rental in violation of Section 19.76.050(a), exposing the listing to nuisance abatement under Section 19.76.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must Airbnb or VRBO tell a Sunnyvale host before listing?
Does the platform have to remove a listing after a revocation?
How long must a platform keep records of Sunnyvale rental bookings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sunnyvale
California rules heatmap·Compare Sunnyvale to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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