Alameda, CA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Unlike cities such as San Francisco that limit short-term rentals to a host's primary residence, the City of Alameda currently has no primary-residence requirement for STRs, because it has not adopted an STR ordinance that would impose one. As a result, both owner-occupied rentals and rentals of non-primary-residence properties operate under the same general baseline: a City business license, Zoning Clearance, a Home Occupation Permit if run from a residence, and the 14% Transient Occupancy Tax. The Home Occupation Permit applies when the rental is operated from a residence, but the City's current materials do not state that a short-term rental must be the host's primary home. This is, however, the most likely area to change. At the Planning Board's February 10, 2025 workshop, members expressed a preference for hosted and semi-hosted short-term rentals over fully unhosted ones, signaling interest in tying STR operation to an on-site host - a structure that frequently functions as a primary-residence-style requirement. Staff also indicated the City might regulate booking platforms as a business-licensing condition rather than individual hosts. None of these preferences are yet in force. Because this is the incorporated City of Alameda, the County's STR provisions do not apply inside city limits. Hosts of non-owner-occupied rentals should monitor the draft ordinance closely, as a future hosted-rental or primary-residence rule could materially restrict their operation.