Do I need to register a short-term rental in San Francisco?

Yes. A registration or licence must be in place in San Francisco before the property is let.

How many nights a year can I let a short-term rental in San Francisco?

90 nights per year in San Francisco. Letting beyond that limit is not permitted without separate approval.

Does a short-term rental in San Francisco have to be my main home?

Yes. San Francisco requires the property to be the operator's principal or primary residence.

Is there an accommodation tax on short-term rentals in San Francisco?

No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in San Francisco.

Are local council rules for San Francisco included here?

Yes. The rules shown for San Francisco are the ones that bind an operator at this level, last checked 2026-09-01.

Short-term rental rules in San Francisco

Last checked 2026-09-01. Jurisdiction code US-CA-SF.

Registration or licence	Required before letting
Night limit	90 nights per year
Primary residence	Required

What this means in practice

California leaves short-stay regulation to cities and counties, so the rules that bind this property are local. They are not held in Cuvanti for this location.
California levies no lodging tax at state level. Any lodging tax on this property is local, and local rates are not held in Cuvanti for this location.
San Francisco permits short-term letting only from your primary residence. You must occupy the unit for at least 275 nights in the calendar year, which is the requirement that decides eligibility before any other.
You may let the unit UN-HOSTED, meaning with nobody in residence, for at most 90 nights per calendar year. Nights when you are present are NOT capped, so the 90 is a limit on your absence rather than on letting.
Registration with the Office of Short-Term Rentals is required. The application fee is US$925 and a certificate is valid for two years.
You must hold a Business Registration Certificate from the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector BEFORE applying for the short-term rental certificate. They are two separate registrations and the second cannot be granted without the first.
Your certificate number must appear on every listing. While an application is pending, the unique record number is used instead.
Continuing to host after an application is denied or a certificate revoked carries penalties of US$484 per day, per residential unit.
The San Francisco Transient Occupancy Tax applies to short stays. Some platforms collect and remit it and some do not, and Cuvanti has NOT verified the current rate or which channels collect it, so no amount is shown here. Confirm with the Treasurer and Tax Collector before pricing.

Cuvanti tracks this for your properties automatically

Night limits count across every channel you are connected to, not one platform at a time, which is the only way the number means anything. Cuvanti warns you before a booking would breach a limit, and tells you when a rule in your market changes.

See how it works

Common questions about short-term rentals in San Francisco

Do I need to register a short-term rental in San Francisco?: Yes. A registration or licence must be in place in San Francisco before the property is let.
How many nights a year can I let a short-term rental in San Francisco?: 90 nights per year in San Francisco. Letting beyond that limit is not permitted without separate approval.
Does a short-term rental in San Francisco have to be my main home?: Yes. San Francisco requires the property to be the operator's principal or primary residence.
Is there an accommodation tax on short-term rentals in San Francisco?: No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in San Francisco.
Are local council rules for San Francisco included here?: Yes. The rules shown for San Francisco are the ones that bind an operator at this level, last checked 2026-09-01.

This is not legal advice. It covers registration, night limits and accommodation taxes for the markets Cuvanti has configured, and does not cover every local rule, including planning controls, building and fire safety requirements, and strata or body corporate by-laws. Check your own obligations with a local adviser before you let.