Santa Clara County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Mountain View?
RestrictedMountain View allows short-term rentals in a legal dwelling unit if the host registers the unit with the city and holds a city business license. The registration is personal to the host and expires automatically when the property is sold, and a home may be rented without the host present for no more than sixty days a year.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L144.5 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1Mountain View City Code Chapter 44 Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, sections 44.1 to 44.13 (Ord. No. 12.18, s 1, adopted November 13, 2018). Transient occupancy tax is Chapter 33. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1Mountain View City Code Chapter 44 Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, sections 44.1 to 44.13 (Ord. No. 12.18, s 1, adopted November 13, 2018). Transient occupancy tax is Chapter 33. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Night capUnhosted rentals are capped at 60 nights per year.L1Mountain View City Code Chapter 44 Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, sections 44.1 to 44.13 (Ord. No. 12.18, s 1, adopted November 13, 2018). Transient occupancy tax is Chapter 33. · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsNo citywide cap on the number of registrations appears in Chapter 44. The numeric limit is per unit: unlimited days when the host is present, and no more than sixty days per calendar year when the host is not present (section 44.4).L144.4 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsSection 44.7 provides that approved registrations are personal to the host, are not assignable or transferable, and automatically expire upon sale or transfer of the property. No family, heir, trust or entity exception appears, and no transfer application window or grace period is given. A buyer must register the unit in their own name and obtain a Mountain View business license before advertising or renting.L144.7 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
44.5“Prior to advertising or use of a short-term rental, the host shall register the dwelling unit [...] and obtain a valid City of Mountain View business license.” source
44.3“No person shall host or rent any residence in violation of the provisions of this chapter.” source
44.7“Approved registrations shall be personal to the host, are not assignable or transferable and shall automatically expire upon sale or transfer of the property.” source
44.4“Where the host is present, the dwelling unit may be occupied as a short-term rental for an unlimited number of days per calendar year. Where a host is not present, the dwelling unit may be occupied as a short-term rental no more than sixty (60) days per calendar year.” source
Citation: Mountain View City Code Chapter 44 Short-Term Rental of Residential Property, sections 44.1 to 44.13 (Ord. No. 12.18, s 1, adopted November 13, 2018). Transient occupancy tax is Chapter 33.
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How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-13 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.