Brentwood, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Brentwood, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Brentwood Municipal Code Ch. 17.796
- Rule
- All short-term rentals prohibited citywide
- Definition threshold
- 30 consecutive days or less
- Misdemeanor fine
- Up to $1,000 or 6 months jail
- Infraction fines
- $100/$200/$500 for repeat offenses
- Latest amendment
- Ordinance 1079, December 10, 2024
Summary
Brentwood does not issue short-term rental permits because it does not allow short-term rentals at all. Municipal Code Section 17.796.003 makes it unlawful to rent any dwelling unit, or even amenities like a pool or backyard, for thirty consecutive days or less anywhere in the city.
§ 17.796.003. Short-term rentals prohibited. A. Definition. "Short-term rental unit" means the rental or occupancy of any residential dwelling unit or a portion thereof for a period of thirty consecutive calendar days or less. Short-term rental units include uninhabitable portions of the property such as swimming pools, courts, backyards, and other amenities available for rent for less than thirty consecutive calendar days. B. Short-Term Rental Units Prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to offer or make available to rent or to rent (by way of a rental agreement, lease, license, or any other means, whether written or oral), for compensation or any consideration, a short-term rental unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4604307; v5 updated 2025-12-09).
Full Breakdown
796 of the Brentwood Municipal Code bans the activity outright rather than regulating it. 003(B) then makes it unlawful for any person or entity to offer, make available, or actually rent a short-term rental unit, whether the arrangement runs through a written lease, an oral agreement, a license, or any other means, and whether or not money changes hands. 7, so a homeowner cannot use a newly built accessory dwelling unit as a workaround. 169. The chapter was added by Ordinance 1030 in 2021 and amended by Ordinance 1033 in 2022 and Ordinance 1079 in December 2024, meaning the council has revisited and kept the prohibition current within the last two years rather than letting it lapse. 20's citywide penalty structure.
Violations & Fines
Operating a short-term rental in Brentwood is a misdemeanor under Municipal Code Section 1.20.010(A) unless the city attorney elects to charge it as an infraction. A misdemeanor carries a fine up to one thousand dollars, imprisonment up to six months, or both, per Section 1.20.010(A) and Government Code Sections 36900 and 36901. If charged as an infraction instead, fines run up to one hundred dollars for a first offense, two hundred dollars for a second offense of the same provision within twelve months, and five hundred dollars for each additional offense in that period. Every day the rental continues counts as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a permit to run a short-term rental in Brentwood?
Does building an ADU let me rent it short-term instead?
What counts as a short-term rental under Brentwood's code?
What happens if I list my Brentwood home on Airbnb anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brentwood
How Brentwood compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Brentwood 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 Contra Costa County handle short-term rental permits.