Santa Clara County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Sunnyvale?
RestrictedSunnyvale bans short-term rentals in every zoning district except hosted stays that the director has approved, where the host lives on site throughout the stay and the home is the host's primary residence. No more than four overnight lodgers are allowed per night, and renting the whole home while the host is away is not permitted at all.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L119.76.050 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyOnly hosted rentals are allowed; the host must be present.L1Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.76, Secs. 19.76.010 through 19.76.090 (Ord. 3059-15 Sec. 1; Ord. 3154-20 Sec. 8; Ord. 3192-22 Sec. 1; Ord. 3258-26); transient occupancy tax Chapter 3.16, Secs. 3.16.030 and 3.16.040(d) (Ord. 3140-18 Sec. 1) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe rental must be the operator's primary residence.L119.76.040 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsUnhosted short-term rental is not capped, it is prohibited outright in every zoning district (19.76.030). A maximum of four overnight lodgers are allowed per night in any single-family dwelling or any single dwelling unit in a multi-family dwelling, not counting minor children accompanied by an adult (19.76.040). Accessory dwelling units approved on or after January 1, 2020 may not be used for short-term rental, and pre 2020 accessory dwelling units only if the host resides on the same lot (19.76.040). No citywide numeric approval cap appears in the chapter.L1Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.76, Secs. 19.76.010 through 19.76.090 (Ord. 3059-15 Sec. 1; Ord. 3154-20 Sec. 8; Ord. 3192-22 Sec. 1; Ord. 3258-26); transient occupancy tax Chapter 3.16, Secs. 3.16.030 and 3.16.040(d) (Ord. 3140-18 Sec. 1) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sellsCode silent on transfer. The chapter never uses the words transfer, sale or change of ownership. The approval is issued to the host named in the application (19.76.050) and the host must reside on site throughout each stay at what must be the host's primary residence (19.76.040), and revocation notices are directed to the host (19.76.070), so in practice a buyer could not use the seller's approval and would have to apply in their own name. That is an inference from the text, not a stated rule.L119.76.040, 19.76.050, 19.76.070 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
19.76.030“The short-term rental of residential property is a prohibited use in every zoning district in the city, with the exception of approved hosted rentals permitted pursuant to this chapter.” source
19.76.040“To reside on site means that the property being used for short-term rentals is the host's primary residence.” source
19.76.040“A maximum of four overnight lodgers are allowed per night in any single-family dwelling or any single dwelling unit in a multi-family dwelling.” source
19.76.020“to provide transient lodging in a dwelling unit, for compensation, for a period of thirty consecutive calendar days or less.” source
Citation: Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.76, Secs. 19.76.010 through 19.76.090 (Ord. 3059-15 Sec. 1; Ord. 3154-20 Sec. 8; Ord. 3192-22 Sec. 1; Ord. 3258-26); transient occupancy tax Chapter 3.16, Secs. 3.16.030 and 3.16.040(d) (Ord. 3140-18 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.