Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Berkeley, CA (2026)

Berkeley, CA allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental Registration) before listing their property. Berkeley regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Berkeley.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental Registration. Registration fee: $109. Annual renewal: $109 annually. Register through the Berkeley Planning and Development Department — Building Services or Berkeley Planning and Development Department — Planning Division. Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Berkeley: 1. Berkeley STR registration required for all rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days 2. Primary residence requirement: host must use property as primary home (lived there 6+ months/year) 3. Whole-home STR limited to 90 nights per calendar year when host not present 4. Hosted rentals (host physically present) have no night cap 5. Berkeley Rent Stabilization units: STR of rent-controlled apartments requires Rent Board review 6. Registration number must be displayed on all platform listings 7. Platform must collect and remit Berkeley Transient Occupancy Tax (12%) 8. Maximum occupancy per bedroom rule applies

• •Berkeley STR registration required for all rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days
• •Primary residence requirement: host must use property as primary home (lived there 6+ months/year)
• •Whole-home STR limited to 90 nights per calendar year when host not present
• •Hosted rentals (host physically present) have no night cap
• •Berkeley Rent Stabilization units: STR of rent-controlled apartments requires Rent Board review
• •Registration number must be displayed on all platform listings
• •Platform must collect and remit Berkeley Transient Occupancy Tax (12%)
• •Maximum occupancy per bedroom rule applies

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Berkeley: Airbnb: Airbnb collects 12% Berkeley TOT and remits to city for qualifying stays VRBO: VRBO collects applicable Berkeley TOT on qualifying stays Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Berkeley: $500 per day for STR without valid registration; $250 per violation for occupancy or rule violations; Rent Board penalties for unlawful STR of rent-controlled units. Berkeley has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$500 per day for STR without valid registration
• ⚠$250 per violation for occupancy or rule violations
• ⚠Rent Board penalties for unlawful STR of rent-controlled units

Frequently Asked Questions