San Mateo, CA short-term rental registration
San Mateo allows short-term rentals in any legal home, condo or apartment, though accessory dwelling units stay out. A tenant with a written lease can host as well. Weddings, parties and corporate events are banned at the property during a stay.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in San Mateo?
Register before you list
What you apply for: Short-Term Rental Registration
- Seasonal homes
- 494
- Housing units
- 42,641
- Residents
- 103,105
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleRegistration required
- City fee$250
- Tax on each stay14%
- Seasonal homes12 per 1,000
San Mateo short-term rental registration
Before a San Mateo home is advertised for stays under 30 consecutive days, the host registers it with the city. Registration follows the fiscal year, so renewal falls due by July 1. The city's FAQ puts the fee at $250 a year, non-refundable. Hosts also need a city business license. With the host present, rental days are unlimited. Without the host, the limit is 120 days a year. Occupancy is two people per bedroom or ten per property, whichever is less. A local contact must respond to complaints within 60 minutes.[5]
What San Mateo asks of you
The host must register a dwelling unit with the city before advertising it for short-term rental or making it available.[5]
A short-term rental is a stay of less than 30 consecutive calendar days. Portions of days count as full days.[5]
Any dwelling unit may be registered, except an accessory dwelling unit.[5]
The city's FAQ cites Section 27.19.060(a)(2), which bars renting an ADU for less than 30 days.[6]
A host is the owner of record, or a lessee under a written lease.[5]
With the host present, a unit may be rented an unlimited number of days. With no host on site, the code allows 120 days per year, counted from registration.[5]
The city's FAQ counts the same 120 days per calendar year.[6]
Registration costs $250 a year, non-refundable, with renewal due every July 1.[6]
Registration is personal to the host. It expires automatically when the unit is sold or transferred.[5]
Complaints get an answer within 60 minutes from a local contact person on call at all hours. Guests and adjacent neighbors receive that person's details.[5]
Homes with three or fewer bedrooms provide at least one off-street parking space. Four or more bedrooms require two.[5]
The occupancy cap is the lesser of two people per bedroom or ten per property.[5]
Hosts tell guests about the city's noise, trash and parking ordinances.[5]
Hosts keep compliance records, tax payments included, for three years after each rental.[5]
After a noticed hearing, the city may revoke a registration for false statements or any code violation.[5]
After a denial or revocation, the host cannot apply again for 24 months.[5]
Title 5 of the municipal code governs the city business license that hosts also need.[5]
HdL Companies runs the registration program for the city, at (650) 443-9056.[4]
Operators pay the city its tax monthly, on or before the month's final day.[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 San Mateo
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo transient occupancy tax[7] | 14% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 14% |
Collecting the tax is the host's job, unless a hosting platform has a voluntary collection agreement with the city. In that case the platform collects it.[5]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of San Mateo is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 494 of San Mateo's 42,641 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 12 out of every 1,000. It ranks San Mateo 32nd of the 42 California cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 32nd of 42
- Share of housing
- 12 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $1,618,700
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where San Mateo sits among its neighbors
San Bernardino County, CA
Permit required
Only in the Mountain and Desert Regions. Anywhere else in unincorporated county land, short-term rentals are not allowed.
San Bernardino County short-term rental rulesPasadena, CA
Permit required
746 seasonal homes, 12 per 1,000 housing units.
Pasadena short-term rental rulesMountain View, CA
Registration required
330 seasonal homes, 8 per 1,000 housing units.
Mountain View short-term rental rulesSanta Monica, CA
Permit required
739 seasonal homes, 14 per 1,000 housing units.
Santa Monica short-term rental rulesFAQ
San Mateo short-term rental questions
What does San Mateo charge to register a short-term rental?
Can I rent my San Mateo ADU on Airbnb?
How long can a San Mateo home be rented without the host?
Does Airbnb collect San Mateo's hotel tax?
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 Registration & Requirements, City of San Mateo, read on October 2, 2026
- Municipal Code, Chapter 5.66: Short Term Rentals, City of San Mateo, read on October 2, 2026
- Short-Term Rental Registration Frequently Asked Questions, City of San Mateo, read on October 2, 2026
- Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), City of San Mateo, 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.