Livermore, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Local numeric headcount cap
- None in LMC Chapter 5.90
- Governing standard instead
- State Substandard Building law
- Bathroom fixtures
- Must match number of guests
- Room/space dimensions
- Must meet code minimums
- Exits
- Must scale with occupant load
- Last amended
- Effective January 1, 2025 (SB 1465)
Summary
Livermore's code has no numeric per-bedroom head-count cap for short-term rentals; instead, state law caps occupancy indirectly through the Substandard Building standard in Health & Safety Code § 17920.3, which makes a unit illegal to occupy once its bathroom fixtures, room dimensions, or exits can't support the number of people using it.
Any building or portion thereof, regardless of zoning designation or approved uses of the building, including any dwelling unit, guestroom or suite of rooms, or the premises on which the same is located, in which there exists any of the following listed conditions to an extent that endangers the life, limb, health, property, safety, or welfare of the occupants of the building, nearby residents, or the public shall be deemed and hereby is declared to be a substandard building: (a) Inadequate sanitation shall include, but not be limited to, the following:...(2) Lack of, or improper water closets, lavatories, and bathtubs or showers per number of guests in a hotel...(9) Room and space dimensions less than required by this code...(l) All buildings or portions thereof not provided with adequate exit facilities as required by this code...increased in relation to any increase in occupant load, alteration or addition, or any change in occupancy.
Full Breakdown
90, sets no specific 'maximum guests per bedroom' number, so the operative occupancy ceiling for any Livermore rental, short-term or long-term, comes from the state Substandard Building law. 3's sanitation, room-size, or exit thresholds becomes a code enforcement matter that can also jeopardize the host's short-term rental permit. The statute was last amended by Stats. 2024, ch. 5 alongside health officers.
Violations & Fines
A finding that a unit is substandard under § 17920.3 authorizes the City's building official or health officer to order repairs, restrict occupancy, or red-tag the unit under the locally adopted Housing Code, and a host who keeps renting an overcrowded short-term rental risks a chapter 5.90 violation for failing to comply with the Livermore Municipal Code, which can trigger denial, suspension, or revocation of the short-term rental permit under § 5.90.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Livermore limit how many guests can stay in a short-term rental?
What building conditions can make a rental illegally overcrowded in California?
Can overcrowding affect my Livermore short-term rental permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livermore
California rules heatmap·Compare Livermore to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Occupancy Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle occupancy limits.