San Francisco short-term rental laws (2026)
Until 2015, every rental under 30 days was illegal in San Francisco. Today a short-term rental is legal only in the unit you live in at least 275 nights a year, once registered with the Office of Short-Term Rentals. Hosted stays, with you home overnight, have no limit, while unhosted stays stop at 90 nights a year. Only a natural person can register, for a single unit, and only after living there 60 consecutive nights. Violations start at $484 per day per unit, and renting in breach of Chapter 41A is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail.[2]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 14, 2026.
Is Airbnb legal in San Francisco?
Legal, in your primary residence
Only in the unit you live in at least 275 nights a year, once registered. Unhosted stays stop at 90 nights a year.
8 official sources · verified September 14, 2026
Photo: Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash
- PermitRequired · $925 application, 2 years
- Primary residenceRequired
- Number on listingRequired
- Night cap90 nights a year when unhosted
Every San Francisco rule, sorted by what it asks
Filter by topic. Each line carries the number of its official source, listed at the bottom of the page.
You must
- Live in the unit at least 275 nights per calendar year[1]
- Live there 60 consecutive nights before you apply[1]
- Register with the Office of Short-Term Rentals[2]
- Hold a business registration certificate[2]
- Prove residency with at least two documents[2]
- Show the registration number on every listing for the unit[5]
- Report your stays within 30 days after each quarter[3]
- Renew the registration every two years[1][3]
- RH-1(D): go through notice to neighbors within 300 feet, with 45 days to comment[1]
- List unhosted and hosted stays separately[1]
- State in a hosted listing that you will be in the unit with guests[2]
- Use only rooms legally recognized as safe for sleeping[2]
- Post a sign inside the front door: extinguishers, gas valves, exits, alarms[5]
- Carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance or equal platform coverage[1]
- Name the owners as additional insured and cover the building's tenants[5]
You must not
- Host through an entity, or offer more than one unit[1]
- Rent unhosted for more than 90 nights a calendar year[3]
- List a wrong registration number[2]
- Rent a below-market-rate, public housing, SRO or dormitory unit[1]
- Rent an ADU or junior ADU for under 30 days per guest[1][2]
- Rent a home in the Presidio, Fort Mason or Treasure Island[1]
- Rent a unit with open enforcement or an Ellis Act eviction after November 2014[1]
- Rent commercial or industrial space[1]
- Let guests sleep outdoors, in vehicles or in detached structures[1]
- Host more than five distinct renters at the same time[1]
- Count a stay as hosted unless you are in the unit overnight[2]
- Earn more per month than your rent, if the unit is rent-controlled[1]
What a new permit costs
Application fee, covering two years from approval
$925application for two years
- Application$925
The fee is non-refundable, including when an application is denied.[1]
How to apply in San Francisco
Official name: Short-Term Residential Rental Registry certificate
- 1
Confirm you are the permanent resident, have lived in the unit 60 consecutive nights, and that the unit type is eligible.[1]
- 2
Get a Business Registration Certificate from the Treasurer and Tax Collector, with your home address and Accommodations as the business type.[1]
- 3
Carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance for short-term rental use, or book only through a platform with equal coverage.[1]
- 4
Apply to the Office of Short-Term Rentals and pay the non-refundable fee.[1]
- 5
Show your application record number on every listing while it is under review, then your certificate number once approved.[2]
- 6
Report your stays to the Office of Short-Term Rentals within 30 days after each quarter ends.[3]
Four jurisdictions, same questions
The San Francisco column comes from the official sources on this page. The other columns show the headline rule from each WonderGuest page. Open a page for the full detail.
| Question | San Francisco | Los Angeles | San Bernardino County | San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | Required$925 application, 2 years | Required$441 base fee, adjusted each year | Required$1,144 new, 1 year | Required$226 to $1,170 by tier, 2 years |
| Primary residence | Required | Required | Not required | Varies |
| Night cap | 90 nights a year when unhosted | 120 days a year unless Extended | None published | 20 days a year on Tier 1 |
| Number on listing | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Where allowed | Your primary residence only | Your primary residence only | Mountain and Desert Regions only | All zones, ADUs excluded |
| Occupancy tax | 14% TOT, Airbnb collects | 14% city TOT, Airbnb collects | 7% county TOT, Airbnb collects | 11.75 to 13.75% TOT, Airbnb collects |
| Fine without permit | From $484 per day per unit | $500 a day, or 2x nightly if higher | $1,000 per violation per day | Not published |
| Los Angeles rules | San Bernardino County rules | San Diego rules |
Coming up
What's changing
No change with an effective date appears in the official sources on this page as of September 14, 2026.
FAQ
San Francisco short-term rental questions
Is it legal to Airbnb your home in San Francisco?
How many nights can I rent my San Francisco home when I am not there?
Can I rent an in-law unit short term in San Francisco?
What happens if I host without registering in San Francisco?
Sources
- Become a certified host, San Francisco Planning, Office of Short-Term Rentals, read on September 14, 2026
- FAQs on short-term rentals, San Francisco Planning, Office of Short-Term Rentals, read on September 14, 2026
- Maintain your certified host status, San Francisco Planning, Office of Short-Term Rentals, read on September 14, 2026
- Complaints and enforcement, San Francisco Planning, Office of Short-Term Rentals, read on September 14, 2026
- San Francisco Administrative Code chapter 41A, City and County of San Francisco, read on September 14, 2026
- Planning Department fee schedule, San Francisco Planning, read on September 14, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax, San Francisco Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector, read on September 14, 2026
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance in California, Airbnb Help Center, read on September 14, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 14, 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 house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Rental arbitrage calculator
Rent, deposit, furnishing, nightly rate and occupancy. You get monthly cash flow, the occupancy you break even at, and how long the setup takes to pay back.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.