Concord, CA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Concord, CA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- STR-specific ordinance
- None adopted
- TOT registration required
- Within 10 days of operation (CMC 3.15.260)
- Business license required
- Yes (CMC 5.05.040)
- Threshold defining 'transient'
- Stays of 30 consecutive calendar days or less
- Hotel/Motel in residential zones
- Not permitted (CMC 18.30)
- Bed & breakfast inn
- Use Permit required in residential zones
Summary
Concord has no short-term rental-specific ordinance, but Municipal Code Ch. 3.15 requires any operator of transient lodging (occupancy of 30 days or less) to register with the city Finance Director within 10 days of commencing business, and a city business license is also required.
Hotel. Any structure, or any portion of any structure, which is occupied or intended or designed for occupancy by transients for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes, and includes any hotel, inn, tourist home or house, motel, studio hotel, bachelor hotel, lodginghouse, roominghouse, apartment house, dormitory, public or private club, mobile home, or house trailer at a fixed location or other similar structure, or portion thereof.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-425.1, passed March 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Concord has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental (Airbnb-type) ordinance. However, CMC 3.15.220 defines 'hotel' broadly to include any structure or portion thereof occupied by 'transients' (any person with occupancy of 30 consecutive days or less) for 'dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes,' explicitly listing apartment houses, mobile homes, house trailers, and 'similar structure[s]' alongside hotels and motels. Under CMC 3.15.260, every operator must register with the Director of Finance and Management Services within 10 days of commencing business using a city-provided registration form. Separately, CMC Chapter 5.05 requires every person transacting business in Concord to obtain a business license. The Concord Development Code (Title 18) does not list 'short-term rental' or 'vacation rental' as a permitted use in residential zoning districts; 'Hotel, Motel' is not allowed in any residential (RR, RS, RL, RM, RH) district, while a 'Bed and Breakfast Inn' requires a Use Permit (UP). Hosts in residential zones should consult the Planning Division before listing.
Violations & Fines
Operating without TOT registration or a business license is a violation of the Concord Municipal Code, prosecutable as a misdemeanor or, in the City Attorney's discretion, an infraction under CMC 1.05.200 (fines up to $100 / $200 / $500 for first, second, and additional infractions per CMC 1.05.220). Each day a violation continues is a separate offense under CMC 1.05.210(b). The activity may also be abated as a public nuisance under CMC 1.05.210(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Concord have a short-term rental ordinance?
Do I need a permit to host on Airbnb in Concord?
Is a short-term rental considered a 'home-based business' in Concord?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Concord
How Concord compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·California rules heatmap·Compare Concord to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Contra Costa County handle short-term rental permits.