San Mateo County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in San Mateo?
RestrictedSan Mateo allows short-term rentals in any home that is registered with the city, but a home rented while the host is away is capped at 120 days a year and accessory dwelling units cannot be registered. The registration is personal to the host and automatically expires when the home is sold, so a buyer must register again in their own name.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L15.66.030 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 5.66, Secs. 5.66.010 through 5.66.140 (Ord. No. 2021-6 Sec. 2; Ord. No. 2021-17 Secs. 2 and 3); transient occupancy tax Sec. 3.56.030 (Ord. No. 2020-18 Sec. 1) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 5.66, Secs. 5.66.010 through 5.66.140 (Ord. No. 2021-6 Sec. 2; Ord. No. 2021-17 Secs. 2 and 3); transient occupancy tax Sec. 3.56.030 (Ord. No. 2020-18 Sec. 1) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Night capUnhosted rentals are capped at 120 nights per year.L1San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 5.66, Secs. 5.66.010 through 5.66.140 (Ord. No. 2021-6 Sec. 2; Ord. No. 2021-17 Secs. 2 and 3); transient occupancy tax Sec. 3.56.030 (Ord. No. 2020-18 Sec. 1) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsWhen the host is present there is no annual limit; when the host is absent a dwelling unit may be occupied as a short-term rental for no more than 120 days per year (5.66.040(b)). Occupancy is limited to two people per bedroom or ten people per property, whichever is less (5.66.040(f)). Accessory dwelling units may not be registered (5.66.040(a)). Off-street parking of one space is required for one to three bedrooms and two spaces for four or more (5.66.040(d)). No citywide numeric registration cap appears in the chapter.L15.66.040(b) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsSection 5.66.060 says an approved registration is personal to the Host and automatically expires upon sale or transfer of the dwelling unit, and that no registration may be assigned, transferred, or loaned to any other person. The chapter states no exception for family members, heirs, spouses, trusts, or entity or LLC membership changes, and no transfer application window or grace period. Registrations run on a fiscal year basis with annual renewal required on or before July 1 (5.66.060, 5.66.070), so a buyer must register in their own name before advertising the home.L15.66.060 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
5.66.030“Short-Term Rental uses shall be permitted in any residence subject to all Municipal Code requirements, including compliance with the operating standards, registration, Transient Occupancy Tax payments, payment of business license taxes, and recordkeeping obligations. Except as provided for in this section, all other Short-Term Rental uses shall be prohibited.” source
5.66.060“An approved registration shall be personal to the Host and shall automatically expire upon sale or transfer of the dwelling unit. No registration may be assigned, transferred, or loaned to any other person.” source
5.66.040(b)“a Dwelling Unit may be occupied as a Short-Term Rental for no more than 120 days per year” source
5.66.040(f)“two people per bedroom or ten people per property, whichever is less” source
Citation: San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 5.66, Secs. 5.66.010 through 5.66.140 (Ord. No. 2021-6 Sec. 2; Ord. No. 2021-17 Secs. 2 and 3); transient occupancy tax Sec. 3.56.030 (Ord. No. 2020-18 Sec. 1)
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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.