City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Oakland, CA
How Oakland regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- residential-zone exclusion — rental under 30 days prohibited outside narrow categories
- only residential path is an owner-occupied historic bed-and-breakfast requiring a discretionary conditional use permit
- accessory dwelling units barred from any rental under 30 days
- no enacted STR registration ordinance (in development, hearings Fall 2026); 14% transient occupancy tax applies
Based on: Oakland Planning Code Title 17 (Transient Habitation / Bed and Breakfast Residential Activities); no STR-specific
Summary of the rule
Per the City of Oakland Rent Adjustment Program Short-Term Rental page: 'Current regulations prohibit rental of single-family homes, duplexes, apartments/condos, live/work units, or rooms for less than 30 days.' The Planning Code defines Permanent Residential Activities as occupancy for 30+ days; sub-30-day stays default to Transient Habitation Commercial Activities (§ 17.10.440), a commercial use not permitted by-right in residential zones. The only residential path is an owner-occupied historic Bed and Breakfast Residential Activity (§ 17.10.125) requiring a conditional use permit. Absentee whole-home STR is foreclosed.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 22, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Oakland · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.