Mountain View, CA short-term rental registration
Mountain View has allowed registered short-term rentals since its City Council adopted rules in December 2018. Registration starts with three business license forms, among them a self-certification affidavit. The last step is an online application in the city's STR Registration Portal, where the fee is paid.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Mountain View?
Register before you list
What you apply for: Short-term rental registration
- Seasonal homes
- 330
- Housing units
- 39,458
- Residents
- 83,732
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleRegistration required
- City fee$259
- Tax on each stay10%
- Seasonal homes8 per 1,000
Mountain View short-term rental registration
Mountain View asks every host to register a short-term rental with the city before advertising or using it. That covers any stay of 30 or fewer consecutive days in a residential unit. A city business license is required as well. The 2026 registration fee is $259, prorated by quarter for new filings. With the host away, a unit may be rented 60 days per calendar year at most. A hosted stay has no annual limit. Renting an entire dwelling unit does not count as hosted, except for an ADU with the owner or tenant on the property. Going past 60 unhosted nights costs $500 per day.[5]
What Mountain View asks of you
Short-term rentals are permitted only in legal conforming or legal nonconforming residential dwelling units.[5]
Either the owner of record or a tenant holding a written lease can act as host.[5]
In a hosted rental, the host stays in the unit for the whole stay. Renting out an entire dwelling unit cannot be classified as hosted.[5]
An accessory dwelling unit counts as hosted when the owner or tenant is present on the property.[5]
For an unhosted stay, a local contact responds on site within 60 minutes. The city, guests and adjacent properties receive that contact's details.[5]
Weddings, corporate events and large parties are prohibited during a stay.[5]
The city's page caps a rental at 10 occupants, treating short-term rentals as congregate residences under the building code.[4]
Registration runs by calendar year and is personal to the host. Selling or transferring the property ends it.[5]
The 2026 schedule charges $259 for a registration filed from January through March. The fee drops each quarter, to $64.75 from October 1.[6]
The annual renewal fee is $259, due January 30 under the 2026 schedule.[6]
The code lets a registration expire when no renewal is submitted before December 15.[5]
Operating or advertising without registration draws a first notice with no fine. A second notice costs $500, a third $1,000.[6]
Operating with a revoked or denied registration costs $500 per day. Exceeding 60 unhosted rental nights in a year is fined the same daily amount.[6]
Registration is denied for a property under an active citation or compliance order. A denial or revocation in the previous 12 months blocks it too.[5]
Hosts hold on to the compliance records of each rental for three years after it ends.[5]
Neighbors can report non-emergency problems to a complaint hotline at 650-282-1998, run by Host Compliance.[4]
Each quarter's tax return is due one month after the quarter ends, starting with April 30 for the first quarter.[7]
What California asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
No state license exists for short-term rentals in California. The state's 2025 act on booking platforms says it does not preempt a local short-term rental ordinance.[1]
Since July 1, 2024, every mandatory fee has to sit inside the rate you advertise. Only government taxes and fees may be added later.[2]
State law caps city fines when a short-term rental violation threatens health or safety. The first ceiling is $1,500. A second violation within the year reaches $3,000, each later one $5,000.[3]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Mountain View
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain View transient occupancy tax[7] | 10% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 10% |
Some hosting platforms collect this tax during booking, the city says. All operators still submit a quarterly tax return with their payment.[4]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Mountain View is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 330 of Mountain View's 39,458 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 8 out of every 1,000. It ranks Mountain View 33rd of the 42 California cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 33rd of 42
- Share of housing
- 8 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $1,927,000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Mountain View sits among its neighbors
San Diego, CA
Permit required
Anywhere in the city except ADUs, with a STRO license. Tier 3 and 4 licenses are capped, and Mission Beach has none left.
San Diego short-term rental rulesSan Mateo, CA
Registration required
494 seasonal homes, 12 per 1,000 housing units.
San Mateo short-term rental rulesLong Beach, CA
Registration required
1,292 seasonal homes, 7 per 1,000 housing units.
Long Beach short-term rental rulesFAQ
Mountain View short-term rental questions
How much is short-term rental registration in Mountain View?
What is Mountain View's cap on unhosted rental days?
Can my ADU be a hosted short-term rental in Mountain View?
Who collects Mountain View's hotel tax on Airbnb stays?
Sources
- Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025 (SB 346), Government Code sections 50990 to 50996, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Business and Professions Code section 17568.6, lodging price display, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Government Code section 36900, fines for city ordinance violations, California Legislative Information, read on October 1, 2026
- Short-Term Rental (STR) Housing, City of Mountain View, read on October 2, 2026
- City Code, Chapter 44: Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, City of Mountain View, read on October 2, 2026
- 2026 Schedule of Short-Term Rental Fees and Fines, City of Mountain View, read on October 2, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), City of Mountain View, read on October 2, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb profit calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.