San Mateo County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Parking Rules (2026)

On-site parking is a mandatory performance standard for Coastal Zone short-term rentals, reflecting community concerns about parking availability that the County cited when adopting the ordinance. Under Zoning Regulations Section 6401.3(6)(b), each short-term rental that is all or part of a single-family dwelling unit must provide at least one (1) vehicle parking space in the garage, driveway, or other on-site parking area. If the maximum occupancy of that single-family STR exceeds eight (8) short-term tenants, it must provide at least two (2) on-site spaces. Each short-term rental that is all or part of a unit within a multifamily building must provide at least one (1) on-site space in the garage, parking lot, or other on-site area. The required parking must actually be available for use by the short-term tenants while the rental is occupied. Evidence of available on-site parking must be submitted with the permit application under Section 6401.3(4)(g), and on-site parking is one of the performance standards that must be recited in the rental agreement/advertisement and posted inside the unit under Sections 6401.3(4)(e) and (6)(g). Because occupancy over eight tenants triggers the two-space rule, larger whole-home rentals must account for the extra space at the application stage.