Alameda County · checked 2026-09-27
Can you BnB it in Emeryville?
RestrictedEmeryville allows short-term rentals only with an annual city permit, only in single-unit detached houses that are the permit holder's primary permanent residence, and never in accessory dwelling units. Renting the whole house while away is capped at ninety calendar days per permit term, the permit expires each December 31, and the code text we read contains no provision letting a permit pass to a buyer.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L19-5.2102 · code text · checked 2026-09-27
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Emeryville Municipal Code, Title 9 Planning Regulations, Chapter 5, Article 21, Sections 9-5.2101 through 9-5.2112 · code text · checked 2026-09-27
Primary residenceThe rental must be the operator's primary residence.L19-5.2104(c) · code text · checked 2026-09-27
Night capUnhosted rentals are capped at 90 nights per year.L1Emeryville Municipal Code, Title 9 Planning Regulations, Chapter 5, Article 21, Sections 9-5.2101 through 9-5.2112 · code text · checked 2026-09-27
Caps and limitsNonhosted rentals of the entire house are limited to ninety calendar days per permit term under 9-5.2104(a), and rentals of part of the house must be hosted under 9-5.2104(b). We found no citywide cap on the number of permits and no occupancy limit in the article.L19-5.2104(a) · code text · checked 2026-09-27
Transfer when the home sellsThe article contains no transfer clause. A permit expires each December 31, the city states that issuing a permit confers no vested right, and the house must be the permit holder's primary permanent residence, so a permit cannot follow the property to a buyer who does not live there. A buyer would apply for their own permit.L19-5.2103 · code text · checked 2026-09-27
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
9-5.2102“No person shall establish, operate, or maintain a short-term rental without first obtaining a valid short-term rental permit pursuant to this article.” source
9-5.2103“Short-term rentals are permitted only in single-unit detached houses, and only as an accessory use. All other short-term rental of dwellings and parts of dwellings is prohibited. Short-term rentals are prohibited in any accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit.” source
9-5.2103“By issuing a short-term rental permit, the City is not conferring a vested right.” source
9-5.2104(c)“The house that includes the short-term rental must be the permittee's primary, permanent residence” source
Citation: Emeryville Municipal Code, Title 9 Planning Regulations, Chapter 5, Article 21, Sections 9-5.2101 through 9-5.2112
Check a specific address
The checker resolves any California address to its jurisdiction and returns these rules with their verification level. Where a county or city publishes a licensed-rental registry or parcel map (Riverside County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and a growing list), it also runs parcel spacing, permit cap, and registry checks.
How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-27 by the CanIBnB research desk. Research is AI assisted and human reviewed; the method, the level system, and the re-check schedule are on the How we verify page. If anything here is wrong, report it and it goes in the public corrections log.