San Francisco bars short-term rentals unless the unit is the host's primary residence. Hosts must occupy the home at least 275 nights per year and register with the Office of Short-Term Rentals before listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any platform.
Police Code Section 41A.5, enacted by Ordinance 218-14 in 2014, restricts STR rentals (under 30 nights) to a host's verified primary residence. Hosts prove occupancy with utility bills, voter registration, driver's license, and tax returns showing the unit as their domicile for at least 275 nights yearly. The Office of Short-Term Rentals (OSTR) reviews applications, conducts audits, and shares data with platforms. Investor-owned and pied-a-terre listings are flatly prohibited. The rule was upheld against Airbnb's 2016 federal lawsuit and shrank SF's listing count from roughly 10,000 to 3,000 within two years.
Listing a non-primary residence triggers $484 daily fines, removal from platforms, and Treasurer's Office tax assessments for unpaid Transient Occupancy Tax.
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See how San Francisco's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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