Berkeley caps short-term rental activity to the host's bona fide primary residence, blocking investor-owned platforms and protecting long-term housing stock under the 2017 ordinance.
BMC 23.328 defines primary residence as the dwelling occupied by the host at least 275 days per year. Hosts must register with the City and submit utility bills, voter registration, or tax records to prove primary residence. Second homes, investment properties, and corporate-owned units cannot legally operate as STRs. The rule pairs with Berkeley's Rent Stabilization Ordinance to prevent conversion of rent-controlled units into Airbnb stock. The Rent Board cross-checks STR registrations against rental registry data.
Listing a non-primary residence triggers fines up to 1,500 dollars per occurrence, permit denial, and possible referral to the Rent Stabilization Board for tenant-displacement penalties.
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley has one of the nation strongest Rent Stabilization Ordinances (adopted 1980) with annual AGA increases, just-cause eviction, and registration; enfor...
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley requires the permitted host to physically reside on the property for any short-term rental booking under 14 consecutive nights, mirroring its strict...
See how other cities in Alameda County handle primary-residence-only rule.
See how Berkeley's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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