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.
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates amplified sound and music through City Code Chapter 9.10, requiring permits for amplified events and prohibiting audible music at 50 fe...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates outdoor music at venues including Levis Stadium and Santana Row under City Code Chapter 9.10 and conditional use permits, with amplifie...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara requires encroachment permits for new driveways, limits driveway width by zoning, and prohibits parking across sidewalks regardless of property o...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara tows abandoned vehicles after 72 hours under CVC 22651(k) and participates in the Santa Clara County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program for priv...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara limits recreational vehicle street parking to 72 hours, requires permits for extended street storage, and restricts driveway RV storage under zon...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara fences must meet height, material, setback, and visibility standards under City Code Title 18 Zoning, with special rules for corner lots, histori...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Santa Clara's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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