Contra Costa County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Oakley?
RestrictedOakley allows short-term rentals of thirty consecutive days or fewer only in the owner's primary residence, only with a city short-term rental permit, and only as hosted stays with the owner on site, with a three day two night minimum. Renting a home that is not the owner's primary residence is a prohibited vacation rental, and the permit does not run with the land, so a buyer must apply for a new permit within 14 days of the ownership change before continuing.
Proposed, not in effect: A zoning amendment reported as before the Oakley City Council that would allow up to 15 unhosted short-term rentals within the Downtown Specific Plan district, for primary residences only. Not reflected in the code text as read, where every section of chapter 5.15 still carries only the 2020 ordinance history. (council date 2026-08-11)
source. This page states adopted law only; a pending change is never written as current law.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L15.15.107 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyOnly hosted rentals are allowed; the host must be present.L1Oakley Municipal Code chapter 5.15, sections 5.15.102 to 5.15.122 (Ord. 06-20, adopted 5/12/2020) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe rental must be the operator's primary residence.L15.15.116 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsNo citywide numeric cap on the number of permits appears in chapter 5.15. The binding limits are qualitative: the unit must be the owner's primary residence, which the code defines as the owner residing there a minimum of nine months per year, and the stay must be hosted for the duration of any occupancy by a transient, so unhosted whole home renting is not allowed at all. Overnight occupancy is capped by bedroom count, two persons per bedroom, with a table running from 2 overnight guests for a studio or one bedroom to 8 overnight guests for four or more bedrooms, and daytime guests capped at 16 for four or more bedrooms.L1Oakley Municipal Code chapter 5.15, sections 5.15.102 to 5.15.122 (Ord. 06-20, adopted 5/12/2020) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsThe permit may not be transferred to another owner, does not run with the land, and is valid only for the original location for which it was issued. Within 14 days of a change in property ownership the owner must submit a new permit application before short-term rental operations may continue. The permit is valid for one year from issuance and must be renewed on or before the anniversary. No family, heir, spouse, trust, entity or LLC membership exception appears in chapter 5.15, and no grace period beyond the 14 day new-application window is given.L1chapter 5.15, permit provisions · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
5.15.107“Vacation rentals, as defined in this chapter, are a prohibited use” source
5.15.106“A short-term rental unit that is not an owner's primary residence” source
5.15.116“The short-term rental shall be a hosted rental for the duration of any occupancy by a transient” source
chapter 5.15, permit provisions“A short-term rental permit may not be transferred to another owner, does not run with the land, and is valid only for the original location for which it is issued” source
Citation: Oakley Municipal Code chapter 5.15, sections 5.15.102 to 5.15.122 (Ord. 06-20, adopted 5/12/2020)
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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.