Berkeley, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Berkeley, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Permits required
- Zoning Certificate and Business License
- Zoning status
- ZC* use, Table 23.202-1
- Issuing department
- Planning and Development
- Ad requirement
- Zoning Certificate number on every listing
- Penalty code
- BMC §§ 1.20, 1.28, 1.24/1.26
Summary
Berkeley will not let anyone rent a home for fewer than 14 days without a Zoning Certificate and a city Business License first. Table 23.202-1 lists short-term rentals as a ZC* use in residential districts, and Chapter 23.314 spells out the paperwork the Planning and Development Department requires before a host can operate.
D. Notification. 1. After the City approvers a Zoning Certificate and Business License for a short-term rental, a host shall notify residents of all adjacent properties that a short-term rental has been established. Notification shall include host and local contact information. ... K. Host Responsibilities. 1. The host shall list on any rental advertisement the Zoning Certificate number. 2. Upon request, the host must provide both the Business License number, if required by Municipal Code Chapter 9.04 (Business Licenses), and Zoning Certificate for the short-term rental to the City and/or a vendor hired by the City to administer this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 8031-NS, passed July 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
314's supplemental standards. 050(D)(1) fixes the sequence: after the City signs off on the Zoning Certificate and Business License, the host still has to notify every adjacent property, in writing, with host and local-contact information, before the rental can start. 050(A): owner-hosts submit proof of owner-host and residence status, tenant-hosts submit lease proof plus the building owner's written authorization. 04 requires one, to the City or its contracted enforcement vendor on request. 04; the short-term rental chapter treats it and the Zoning Certificate as two distinct, mandatory approvals rather than one combined permit.
Violations & Fines
Operating or advertising a short-term rental before the Zoning Certificate and Business License are approved is enforced under BMC Sections 1.20 (General Penalty) and 1.28 (Administrative Citations), and the City can pursue it as a public nuisance subject to abatement under Sections 1.24, 1.26 and 23.414. A prevailing party can recover attorneys' fees if the City elected up front to seek its own, and any Berkeley resident can sue for injunctive relief after giving the City and the host 30 days' written notice of the alleged nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to list my Berkeley home on Airbnb?
Which department issues the Berkeley short-term rental permit?
What has to appear on my Berkeley Airbnb listing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley
How Berkeley compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Berkeley to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle short-term rental permits.