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

Napa applies a hard ceiling on top of permit-specific occupancy numbers. NMC 17.52.515 states that no more than 10 persons are allowed to sleep at any vacation rental unit, regardless of bedroom count. Within that ceiling, the City issues each Vacation Rental Permit with three numeric limits: (a) Maximum Overnight Occupancy, set based on bedrooms and site capacity; (b) Maximum Daytime Occupancy, accounting for parties, events, and visitors; and (c) Maximum Number of Vehicles. For a Hosted Accommodation, the ordinance independently restricts the offering to no more than two bedrooms for transient occupancy, regardless of how many bedrooms the dwelling actually has. Every advertisement on Airbnb, VRBO, or any other platform must include the City-issued permit number, the Maximum Overnight Occupancy, and the contact information for the 24/7 local responsible party. California Building Code §1004 and Health & Safety Code §17920.3 (substandard housing) provide a fallback minimum-room-area floor that the City applies in egregious cases. Children typically count toward the per-permit cap; infants under one are commonly excluded by the City but the permit conditions control. Events and large gatherings beyond the Maximum Daytime Occupancy are independently restricted by the permit conditions and are a common trigger for revocation in Napa.