Dublin, CA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

The City of Dublin's Short Term Rental program page distinguishes two types of rentals: hosted rentals, described as rentals where the homeowner or primary occupant of the residence is present during the rental period, and non-hosted rentals, described as rentals where the homeowner or primary resident is absent during the rental period. Importantly, Dublin does not mandate that the host remain on-site - both hosted and non-hosted arrangements exist within the framework. What governs either type is the same discretionary path: the use must be approved as a Bed and Breakfast Inn through a Conditional Use Permit decided by the Planning Commission, plus a business license and Transient Occupancy Tax. Because the CUP is discretionary, the Planning Commission can consider whether a rental is hosted or non-hosted when evaluating neighborhood compatibility and when setting conditions of approval; a non-hosted (whole-home) rental may draw more scrutiny over noise, parking, and management than an owner-occupied hosted room. There is no codified host-presence mandate, no required on-call response time, and no local-contact requirement spelled out in the municipal code; any such operational condition would arise only as a condition of an individual CUP.