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

San Francisco, 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 Residential Rental Certificate (Office of Short-Term Rentals)) before listing their property. San Francisco 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 San Francisco.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Residential Rental Certificate (Office of Short-Term Rentals). Registration fee: $450. Annual renewal: $450 annually. Register through the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) or San Francisco Planning Department. 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 San Francisco: 1. Host must use registered unit as primary residence — must live there at least 275 days per year 2. Primary residence: host must be registered San Francisco voter or have driver's license at address 3. Maximum 90 nights per year for unhosted (whole-home) rentals 4. Hosted rentals (host present during guest stay) have no night cap 5. Registration certificate required before listing on any platform 6. Listing must display OSTR registration number 7. Host must carry $500,000 liability insurance or use platform's host guarantee 8. Rent-controlled units may be rented short-term only by the primary tenant 9. ADUs may be rented short-term only if host resides in primary dwelling on same lot

• •Host must use registered unit as primary residence — must live there at least 275 days per year
• •Primary residence: host must be registered San Francisco voter or have driver's license at address
• •Maximum 90 nights per year for unhosted (whole-home) rentals
• •Hosted rentals (host present during guest stay) have no night cap
• •Registration certificate required before listing on any platform
• •Listing must display OSTR registration number
• •Host must carry $500,000 liability insurance or use platform's host guarantee
• •Rent-controlled units may be rented short-term only by the primary tenant
• •ADUs may be rented short-term only if host resides in primary dwelling on same lot

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in San Francisco: Airbnb: Airbnb collects and remits San Francisco's 14% Transient Occupancy Tax on behalf of hosts VRBO: Host responsible for TOT if platform does not automatically collect and remit 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 San Francisco: $484 per day for operating without valid registration certificate; $484 per day for exceeding 90-night annual cap on unhosted rentals; Certificate revocation for repeat violations; Platforms can be fined for listing unregistered units; City may pursue injunctive relief for ongoing violations. San Francisco 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.

• ⚠$484 per day for operating without valid registration certificate
• ⚠$484 per day for exceeding 90-night annual cap on unhosted rentals
• ⚠Certificate revocation for repeat violations
• ⚠Platforms can be fined for listing unregistered units
• ⚠City may pursue injunctive relief for ongoing violations

Frequently Asked Questions