Pleasanton, CA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Pleasanton's Municipal Code does not contain a dedicated short-term-rental registration or hosting program of the kind found in cities like San Diego or Sacramento. Instead, overnight guest lodging in residential districts is governed entirely through the zoning code (Title 18). The code's definitions chapter (Chapter 18.08) recognizes a 'small bed and breakfast' as a residential building offering overnight accommodations on a temporary basis with between three and five guest sleeping rooms, and a 'bed and breakfast inn' with between six and 15 guest sleeping rooms. Both uses are treated as conditional uses and may only operate after the applicant obtains a conditional use permit through the conditional-use process in Chapter 18.124. A small bed and breakfast may be approved in the R-1 one-family residential district only if the Planning Commission finds the location will not change the residential character of the neighborhood through an overconcentration of small bed and breakfasts or other home-business establishments. Because the code provides no separate 'vacation rental' or 'short-term rental' permit and treats unhosted, under-30-day rentals of an entire dwelling as outside the permitted residential uses, an owner cannot simply register a whole house for nightly rental. Anyone operating any lodging business must also obtain a city business license (Finance Department) and, for a home-based operation, complete a zoning compliance review. Owners should confirm the current treatment of a specific address with the Planning Division (925-931-5600) before listing.