Redwood City, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)

Section 31.3(D)(6) of the Redwood City Zoning Code sets the whole parking standard for short-term rentals in two sentences. No additional parking is required, so a host does not have to stripe new spaces, convert a yard or add a driveway to register. In return, existing on-site spaces must be made available to short-term renters. A host who keeps the garage or driveway for personal use while guests hunt for street parking is not meeting that sentence.

The standard only applies to a use the City allows. A short-term rental is occupancy for less than thirty consecutive calendar days, and it is permitted in any principal residence except Single Room Occupancy Facilities and Group Homes. A principal residence is exactly one dwelling unit that is the person's true, fixed and permanent home. Accessory dwelling units do not count as a principal residence, although ADU rentals registered with the City before January 1, 2020 are carved out.

The neighboring operating standards in subsection D control how much parking and traffic a rental can put on a block. An unhosted principal residence can be rented for no more than 120 days per calendar year, with no day limit when the host is on the premises at all times between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Only one listing is allowed for the same principal residence on the same days. Weddings, corporate events, commercial functions and similar events that could cause traffic, parking or noise problems are prohibited at the property. The host must also name a local contact person, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week during unhosted stays, who answers complaints within 60 minutes and takes remedial action. That contact must be given to guests and to occupants of adjacent properties, so a neighbor facing a blocked driveway has a number to call.

Registration comes first. Hosts register with the City before advertising, pay a filing fee set by City Council resolution, and the City Tax Administrator approves applications. Registration runs on a fiscal year and is personal to the host, expiring automatically on sale or transfer of the unit. The most recent amendment to the section is Ordinance 1130-892, adopted July 27, 2026.