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

Unlike many California cities that impose STR-specific occupancy formulas (such as 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional, or a hard 10-guest cap), Tracy has not adopted a chapter of the Tracy Municipal Code dedicated to vacation rental operating standards. The city's STR regulatory footprint is limited to revenue collection: operators must register with the city, obtain a TOT certificate, and file monthly returns through the city's TOT portal administered by HdL (tracyTOT@hdlgov.com, (209) 826-1827). A Tracy business license is also required for any commercial activity in city limits, including STR hosting. Because Tracy Municipal Code Title 10 (Planning and Zoning) does not list short-term rental as a separately regulated use group with attendant occupancy conditions, default residential occupancy ceilings come from the California Building Code and Health & Safety Code, which size habitable space and bedroom load based on square footage rather than capping nightly guest counts. San Joaquin County's unincorporated STR rules do not extend into Tracy city limits. Operators should still observe the Tracy general nuisance and noise provisions, since complaints about overcrowding typically reach enforcement through those pathways rather than through an STR-specific cap.