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

The City of Alhambra's short-term rental ordinance, Chapter 5.92, does not impose any annual cap on the number of nights or days a permitted STR may be rented, and it contains no distinction between hosted and unhosted day limits. By contrast with cities that limit unhosted rentals to a set number of nights per year, an Alhambra permit holder may operate throughout the year so long as the permit remains valid and in substantial conformance with the chapter. The only night-related figure in the ordinance is definitional: Section 5.92.020 defines a short-term rental as occupancy for 30 or fewer consecutive nights, which distinguishes a short-term stay from a standard tenancy, not an annual usage ceiling. The controlling quantitative limits in Alhambra are instead the 500-permit citywide cap and waiting list (5.92.040(5)), the one-STR-permit-per-host rule (5.92.040(1)), the one-year permit term with renewal (5.92.040(4)), and the two-guests-per-bedroom occupancy limit (5.92.050(2)). Because Alhambra omits a night cap, its STR program is more permissive on duration than night-capped cities, while remaining controlled through permitting and the overall cap. California state law does not mandate an annual night cap, leaving the question to local ordinance, and Alhambra chose not to adopt one.