San Mateo County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

040 of the county's short-term rental ordinance builds a documented-violation strike system into every unincorporated-county short-term rental permit. 368, from exceeding the tenant cap to skipping the required smoke alarms, is unlawful under subsection (1)(a) and exposes the owner to penalties under subsection (1)(b). 40 of the Ordinance Code (Administrative Remedies), which allows monetary fines, but subsection (1)(b) adds a separate strike trigger: once more than two documented violations occur within any rolling 12-month period, the Department of Planning and Building may suspend or revoke the permit for that unit outright.

A documented violation is defined broadly: it can be a citation, a written warning, or other paperwork filed by a Sheriff's deputy, code compliance officer, or any officer with enforcement duties under federal, state, or local law, and it also includes an owner's failure to produce short-term rental or Transient Occupancy Tax records within the county's requested timeframe. Operating or advertising a short-term rental without a valid permit carries its own separate consequence: a black-out period equal to double the number of days the owner operated or advertised unpermitted, with a floor of one month and a ceiling of one year, during which no new permit application will be accepted, and any owed Transient Occupancy Tax must be paid before a new permit can be sought.

Before any suspension or revocation takes effect, subsection (c) entitles the owner to written notice by mail at least 10 days ahead of a hearing, a chance to present evidence, and a written decision within 5 days; a revoked or suspended owner may then appeal to the Planning Commission within 14 days, whose ruling is final and not further appealable to the Board of Supervisors.