Petaluma, CA Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)
Key Facts
- Non-hosted annual cap
- 90 days per calendar year
- Hosted rentals
- No day-count cap in Section 7.110(D)
- Permit term
- Expires December 31 annually
- Tracking mechanism
- Transient occupancy tax filings
- Revocation trigger
- 3+ verified violations per year
Summary
Petaluma caps non-hosted short-term vacation rentals, where the owner is not on site, at 90 nights of paid stays per calendar year. Hosted rentals, where the owner lives with the guests, carry no equivalent day limit under the same ordinance.
2. Limitation on Days. The dwelling as a non-hosted vacation rental may be furnished for compensation for no more than 90 days during any calendar year.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
110(E)(2) sets the limit directly: "Limitation on Days. 110(E), which also requires the entire dwelling to be rented to a single party under one rental agreement and a manager based within 45 miles of the City able to answer complaints within an hour. The 90-day ceiling applies per calendar year, so a permittee who reaches it must stop renting the unit as a non-hosted vacation rental until the following January 1. 110(C)(4), which give the City a paper trail for nights actually rented. 110(D), which regulate occupant counts and bedroom limits instead of an annual night ceiling. 110(H)(5) and (I). This section is current through Implementing Zoning Ordinance Ordinance 2907, adopted September 8, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Renting a non-hosted unit beyond the 90-night annual cap is a violation of Section 7.110(E)(2) and, combined with other violations, can support permit non-renewal under Section 7.110(I)(3)(b) or revocation under Section 7.110(J) after three or more verified violations in a calendar year, with a one-year bar on reapplying at that address.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nights per year can I rent my Petaluma home as a non-hosted vacation rental?
Does the 90-day cap reset each year in Petaluma?
What happens if I exceed the 90-night limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Night Caps in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle night caps.