Marin County · checked 2026-09-16
Can you BnB it in San Rafael?
AllowedSan Rafael allows short-term rentals under 30 days but requires annual registration with the city, and the detailed rules live in a council resolution rather than the municipal code. The unit must be the operator's primary residence, TOT of 12 percent applies, and how a registration is treated when the home sells is not stated in any source read.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L110.110.010 · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Primary residenceThe rental must be the operator's primary residence.L1City of San Rafael STR program page (Resolution 14737 policies) · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Caps and limitsNo cap on the number of registrations or on rental nights appears in Chapter 10.110 or on the official program page. Full program rules are in Council Resolution 14737, which was not yet read.L1San Rafael Municipal Code Chapter 10.110 (Ord. No. 1976, div. 2, 11-18-2019); Council Resolution 14737 · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Transfer when the home sellsChapter 10.110 contains no transfer clause; the chapter is only two sections and incorporates the council-adopted program by reference. The official program page does not mention transfer or sale. Any transfer rule would be in Resolution 14737 (policies and procedures), not read yet, so transfer treatment is unknown. Registration is annual and tied to the permanent resident per the official page.L1San Rafael Municipal Code Chapter 10.110 (Ord. No. 1976, div. 2, 11-18-2019); Council Resolution 14737 · code text · checked 2026-09-16
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
10.110.010“all short-term rentals as defined in Section 14.03.030 of this Code, as may be amended or superseded, are subject to the policies and procedures specified in the San Rafael City Council's 'policies and procedures for the administration of the short term rental program'” source
10.110.020“Any short-term rental operated, conducted, or maintained contrary to the provisions of this chapter and/or the program shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be, unlawful and a public nuisance” source
14.03.030“the rental of all or a portion of a dwelling unit for less than thirty (30) days” source
City of San Rafael STR program page“Starting January 1st, 2020, All Short-Term Rentals in the City of San Rafael will be required to register with the City annually, pay a registration fee, and begin collecting and remitting transient occupancy taxes (TOT).” source
Citation: San Rafael Municipal Code Chapter 10.110 (Ord. No. 1976, div. 2, 11-18-2019); Council Resolution 14737
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 2026-09-16 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.