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

California does not set a statewide STR-specific occupancy cap, so Brentwood relies on established residential occupancy standards derived from the California Building Code, the Uniform Housing Code Section 503(b), and federal HUD guidance. The widely used benchmark is 2 persons per bedroom plus 1 additional occupant, which HUD's Keating Memo recognizes as presumptively reasonable for fair housing purposes. For a typical 3-bedroom Brentwood home this means up to 7 overnight guests. Operators should not advertise capacities that exceed what bedroom count, septic/sewer capacity, and fire egress reasonably support.

Every sleeping room must have an approved means of escape or rescue (egress window meeting CBC dimensions, or direct exterior door) under California Residential Code R310. Converted garages, unpermitted basement rooms, and enclosed patios typically cannot count as bedrooms for occupancy purposes. Brentwood's general nuisance and noise ordinances apply to any gathering regardless of whether guests are overnight: amplified music, loud parties, and disorderly conduct can trigger response from Brentwood Police and code enforcement, and repeated issues can support revocation of the TOT certificate. Events such as weddings, receptions, or large parties at an STR generally require a separate special event permit and often exceed what residential zoning allows.

Parking capacity is a practical constraint: occupancy that generates more vehicles than the property can accommodate off-street frequently triggers neighbor complaints and enforcement. HOAs under Davis-Stirling may set stricter occupancy caps in CC&Rs, and Civil Code 4741 allows reasonable limits so long as they do not effectively prohibit rentals of 30 days or more.