Santa Clara County does not impose a uniform host-presence rule on short-term rentals. Some unincorporated zoning districts limit STRs to hosted home-share arrangements, while others permit unhosted whole-home rentals subject to permit, tax, and noise rules.
Unincorporated Santa Clara County regulates short-term rentals through Title C zoning and the County's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) ordinance. There is no single countywide host-presence mandate; rules vary by zoning district. Hillside, rural-residential, and some agricultural-residential zones effectively limit STRs to hosted home-share use because the underlying use is residential and unhosted commercial lodging is treated as a non-permitted change of use. Standard suburban-residential parcels generally permit unhosted whole-home rentals subject to TOT registration, the County's STR permit, neighbor notification, and occupancy and parking caps. Several incorporated cities (San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View) impose explicit host-presence or 180-day cap rules that do not extend to unincorporated parcels.
Operating an STR in a zone where the use is not permitted draws zoning code-enforcement action including stop-rent orders, daily civil penalties, and back-TOT collection plus interest. Repeat unpermitted operation can lead to abatement litigation.
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Mountain View, CA
Mountain View prohibits disturbing noise between 10pm and 7am weekdays and 10pm to 8am weekends, with enforcement by police and code enforcement officers.
Mountain View, CA
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Mountain View, CA
Industrial and commercial properties in Mountain View must comply with stationary noise source limits measured at property lines, with conditions enforced th...
Mountain View, CA
Mountain View Chapter 21 sets specific decibel thresholds varying by zoning district and time of day, measured at property lines with standardized equipment.
Mountain View, CA
Mountain View requires EV charging infrastructure in new construction under CALGreen Tier 2. Residential EV installations follow expedited permitting per AB ...
Mountain View, CA
RVs, trailers, and boats in Mountain View cannot park on public streets over 72 hours and face Large Vehicle Ordinance limits. Residential storage must be on...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Mountain View's host presence rule rules stack up against other locations.
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