A hosted STR dwelling unit must be the permittee's primary, permanent residence. Investor-owned vacation rentals, second homes, and ADUs (in-law units) cannot be operated as STRs in San Leandro.
Per SLMC Chapter 4-40 and the City's STR FAQ Section III, the hosted dwelling unit 'must be the permitted host's primary, permanent residence.' If the permittee is a tenant rather than the property owner, the permittee must have the landlord's written permission to operate a hosted STR. Only natural persons may apply — corporate entities, LLCs, and partnerships are not eligible. Permits are limited to one per dwelling unit and are not transferable. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), in-law units, and secondary dwelling units are categorically prohibited from STR use, even with the host present in the main house — this is significant in light of California's SB 9 and ADU expansion laws, which permit ADU construction but do not override San Leandro's STR-use restriction. Non-hosted whole-home STRs (i.e., second homes or pure investment vacation rentals) are entirely banned under Chapter 4-41.
Operating a STR at a non-primary residence (e.g., a second home, investor property, or ADU) is treated as a non-hosted STR under Chapter 4-41 and prosecuted as a misdemeanor: first offense — $1,000 fine or 6 months jail; second offense — public nuisance declaration plus the City's attorneys' fees; third within 2 years — triple damages. The third-party data monitoring firm hired by the City cross-references listings on Airbnb/VRBO with permit records and property ownership data to identify violators.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
San Leandro, CA
SLMC §4-1-1115 prohibits use of any loudspeaker, loudspeaker system, public address or similar device between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. when it disturbs neigh...
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro is unusual among Bay Area cities: SLMC Article 11 sets only one numeric noise threshold — 5 decibels above ambient at the complainant's property ...
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro does not recognize any 'dibs' or 'savie' parking custom. Public streets are public space — placing chairs, cones, garbage cans, or other objects ...
San Leandro, CA
Permitted fence/wall materials are wood, steel, finished concrete, and stucco. Chain-link and corrugated metal fencing are prohibited. Street-facing fences m...
San Leandro, CA
Retaining walls 4 feet or less measured from bottom of footing to top of wall are exempt from a building permit, unless they support a surcharge (e.g., drive...
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro has no standalone hoarding statute, but SLMC §4-11-1100 caps household dogs at two and applies an Animal Permit requirement to additional animals...
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