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

Pleasanton controls the scale of paid overnight lodging through the room counts written into its zoning definitions rather than through a per-guest occupancy formula for vacation rentals. Under Chapter 18.08, a 'small bed and breakfast' is a residential building offering overnight accommodations to guests on a temporary basis and 'shall contain between three and five guest sleeping rooms, inclusive,' while a 'bed and breakfast inn' is a residential building or buildings offering overnight accommodations and 'shall contain between six and 15 guest sleeping rooms, inclusive.' These room ranges are the operative occupancy limits for code-recognized lodging in residential zones. The size category also determines where the use can locate and how intensively it is reviewed: a small bed and breakfast may be approved in the R-1 one-family residential district through a conditional use permit, subject to a Planning Commission finding that the use will not change the residential character of the neighborhood through overconcentration. Larger bed and breakfast inns, with their 6-15 room range, are reviewed accordingly. Because the city has no separate whole-house STR program, there is no published nightly headcount cap for an unhosted vacation rental - such a use is simply not permitted. Operators planning a bed and breakfast should confirm the maximum room count for their specific zone and property with the Planning Division before applying.