Alameda, CA Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

The City of Alameda currently sets no cap on the number of nights or days a property may be used as a short-term rental in a year, because it has not adopted an STR ordinance that would establish one. This contrasts with cities like San Francisco, which limits unhosted rentals to 90 nights per year. In Alameda, a property may, under current code, be rented for short stays of 30 nights or fewer without an annual ceiling - the only night-based threshold is the 30-night line that distinguishes transient occupancy (subject to the 14% TOT) from longer tenancies. When the Planning Board discussed STRs on February 10, 2025, capping annual rental days for unhosted units was explicitly on the table as a framework option. However, board members indicated that limiting the number of rental days was 'not a high priority' for them, focusing instead on a hosted-versus-unhosted distinction and on regulating booking platforms. No night cap was adopted. Because this is the incorporated City of Alameda and not the unincorporated County, any County rental-day provisions do not apply within city limits. Hosts should not assume the absence of a cap is permanent: a future ordinance could still introduce day limits, particularly for unhosted whole-home rentals, so monitoring City Council action is advisable.