Sacramento, CA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Guest cap per rental
- Six people per short-term rental
- Off-lot host cap
- Six people per lot, not per unit
- Governing law
- Sacramento City Code § 5.114.200
- Civil penalty range
- $250 to $25,000 per day
- Permit required first
- Under § 5.114.100 before any rental
Summary
Sacramento caps every short-term rental at six guests, whether the booking covers a single unit or, for hosts who live elsewhere, an entire lot. City Code § 5.114.200 sets the number and ties it to the short-term rental permit issued under Chapter 5.114, so exceeding the cap is a permit violation as well as a code violation enforceable by the city manager.
A. No permittee shall rent to more than six people per short-term rental. B. Notwithstanding subsection A, if the permittee's primary residence is not on the same lot as the short-term rental, the permittee shall not rent to more than six people per lot.
Full Breakdown
100. Subsection A bars a permittee from renting to more than six people per short-term rental. Subsection B addresses hosts whose primary residence sits on a different lot than the rental: in that arrangement the six-person ceiling applies per lot rather than per individual unit, so a permittee cannot stack multiple rented units on one lot to multiply the allowed headcount. 220, which forces a permittee to log the number of lodgers on every date lodging is provided, the record the city manager checks to confirm the occupancy cap is being honored.
130) have a direct way to compare the posted permit against the number of people actually staying on site. 300, which lets the city manager reduce the allowed guest count further as a condition of keeping the permit.
Violations & Fines
Renting to more guests than § 5.114.200 allows is a violation of Chapter 5.114 under § 5.114.040: the city attorney may pursue civil penalties of $250 to $25,000 per day the violation continues, criminal sanctions and administrative penalties under Chapter 1.28, and the city manager may suspend, revoke, or condition the permit under § 5.114.300, including by cutting the guest count for future stays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sacramento's six-guest cap apply to every short-term rental?
What happens if a Sacramento host rents to more than six guests?
How does the city check whether a rental exceeds the occupancy limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Occupancy Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle occupancy limits.