Santa Clara County has no countywide primary-residence rule for short-term rentals. San Jose, Mountain View, and Palo Alto require hosts to use the property as their primary home, while Saratoga and Los Gatos restrict STRs more broadly through zoning.
Unincorporated Santa Clara County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals; SCC zoning treats vacation rentals like other transient lodging where allowed. Within incorporated cities the picture varies. San Jose Municipal Code §20.80.700 requires hosts to occupy the dwelling as their primary residence at least 60 days annually for unhosted rentals; Mountain View's STR rules under Ord. 16.40 mirror this with a 270-night non-primary cap. Palo Alto restricts STRs to primary residences with a 90-night unhosted cap. Saratoga and Los Gatos largely prohibit STRs in residential zones. Hosts must verify city rules, register with the county Tax Collector for transient occupancy tax, and post a permit number on listings.
Operating a non-primary STR where prohibited can result in fines of $1,000 to $2,500 per night under city ordinances, platform delisting, transient occupancy tax recovery, and revocation of any city permit.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto Airport (PAO) enforces a voluntary curfew and noise abatement procedures, with FAA preemption limiting local authority over flight operations.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto prohibits amplified music audible beyond the property line during quiet hours and requires a special event permit for outdoor amplification in publ...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto enforces strict decibel limits by zone under PAMC 9.10.040: 60 dBA day / 50 dBA night in residential, scaling up to 70 dBA in manufacturing zones.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto permits construction Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 6pm, with no work allowed on Sundays or holidays under PAMC 9.10.060.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto requires encroachment permits for new driveways, regulates curb cut dimensions, and prohibits blocking sidewalks or adjacent driveways under traffi...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto restricts RV, trailer, and boat storage on public streets and requires screening for large recreational vehicles on residential property under zoni...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Palo Alto's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.