City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Sausalito, CA
How Sausalito 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.
- Whole-home / non-hosted short-term rentals (occupancy under 30 days) are PROHIBITED citywide; transient occupancy is not an allowed use in any residential zoning district.
- Only narrow exception is an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast in the operator's primary residence (max 2 bedrooms, no single stay over 15 days) — a supply/host-presence constraint, not a general STR allowance.
- Active enforcement: City contracts Host Compliance to identify/cite operators; escalating civil fines ($1,000 / $2,000 / $5,000).
- Ban is durable — Sausalito is on San Francisco Bay, OUTSIDE the CA Coastal Commission coastal zone (BCDC/McAteer-Petris jurisdiction), so no LCP-certification contingency weakens it.
Based on: Sausalito Municipal Code Ch. 5.16 (Short Term Rental Prohibition), together with SMC 10.22.030 (residential-district
Summary of the rule
Short-term rentals (residential occupancy for 30 consecutive days or fewer) are prohibited citywide; transient occupancy is not an allowed use in any residential zoning district.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Sausalito · 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.