Alameda, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

The City of Alameda does not impose a short-term-rental-specific maximum guest count in its current code, because no dedicated STR ordinance has been enacted. As a result, how many people may stay in an Alameda short-term rental is governed by the same general standards that apply to any dwelling: building and housing-code occupancy limits tied to the number and size of sleeping rooms, and zoning rules for the residential district. There is no published per-bedroom STR occupancy formula (such as 'two guests per bedroom plus two') in Alameda's code because the City has not legislated one for STRs specifically. When the Planning Board took up short-term rentals at its February 10, 2025 workshop, occupancy limits and property-type restrictions were among the issues identified for the forthcoming draft ordinance, and the Board signaled a preference for hosted and semi-hosted rentals over fully unhosted ones - a structure that often comes with occupancy controls in other cities. But those are proposals, not current law. Because this is the City of Alameda and not the unincorporated County, the County's STR or occupancy provisions do not apply inside city limits. Hosts should follow general building/housing occupancy limits for their dwelling and watch for the City's draft STR ordinance, which may add explicit guest caps.