People who own houses, condos, apartments or any other kind of residential home can rent their entire home or a portion of it for long-term residential occupancy – periods of 30 days or longer. Under certain conditions, a residential home may be rented for less than 30 days. A home's location and whether the property owner lives in it have a bearing on whether it can be used for transient lodging, also called short-term or vacation rentals.
Long-term Rentals
Entire Home
If you own a house, condo, apartment, or any other kind of residential home, you may rent the entire home for long-term residential occupancy. Under the City's Land Use Code, a long-term or residential occupancy is any period of 30 days or longer. For long-term rentals, there is no limit to the number of people who live in the home, so long as everyone has access to and generally shares the responsibilities for the entire home, and all applicable building, health, and safety standards are met.
Individual Rooms
Homeowners may rent a portion of their home for long-term occupancy. The requirements and limitations for this type of rental vary depending on whether a separate unit or individual rooms are being rented:
- Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU): This is a separate dwelling unit, often called a "mother-in-law" unit, and has its own spaces for living, sleeping, cooking and sanitation. An ADU may only be rented for long-term occupancy (transient lodging, or stay less than 30 days, is prohibited). Additional information can be found on this page on ADUs; and applicable Land Use Code requirements for ADUs are in LUC.20.20.120.
- Boarding House: This is a single-family home with long-term rentals of individual rooms. A home used for boarding house must be owner-occupied, can accommodate a maximum of two rooms for rental, and must have a Home Occupation Permit. Applicable Land Use Code requirements for Boarding Houses are in LUC 20.20.140.
- Rooming House: This is a non-owner-occupied single-family home where individual rooms are rented and the tenants generally do not share living expenses or household chores. A rooming house can accommodate a maximum of four rooms for rental. Rooming houses are not allowed in single-family land use districts. Applicable Land Use Code requirements for Rooming Houses are in LUC 20.20.700.
Transient Lodging (short-term or vacation rentals)
A residential home may be rented for transient lodging only under certain conditions related to what is being rented, its location and whether the property owner lives in the home. The Land Use Code defines Transient Lodging as occupancy (or stay) for less than 30 days.
Entire Home
- An apartment, condo unit, or a home in a Planned Unit Development or multifamily dwelling unit located in a Residential (R-1 through R-30) land use district, may be used for Transient Lodging with a Short-Term Stay Use Registration Notice filed with Development Services. Short Term Stay Uses are limited to no more than five units and no more than 20% of the units in the development. Applicable Land Use Code requirements for Short-Term Stay Uses are in LUC 20.20.800.
- An entire single-family home or home with an ADU cannot be used for Transient Lodging, but individual rooms may be rented on a transient basis (less than 30 days); see the below section for more information.
Individual Rooms
Homeowners may rent a portion of their home for Transient Lodging. The requirements and limitations for this type of rental vary depending on the kind of residential home:
- Single-family home - Boarding House/Bed and Breakfast: A Boarding House or Bed and Breakfast must be within an owner-occupied single-family home, accommodate a maximum of two (2) rooms for rental and a maximum of two (2) adults per room, and has been approved for a home occupation permit. Applicable Land Use Code requirements for Boarding Houses are in LUC 20.20.140.
- Single-family home - Rooming House: This is a non-owner-occupied single-family home where individual rooms are rented, and the tenants generally do not share living expenses or household chores. A Rooming House can accommodate a maximum of four (4) rooms for rental and are not allowed in single family land use districts. Applicable Land Use Code requirements for Rooming Houses are in LUC 20.20.700.
- An apartment, condo unit or home in a planned unit development or multifamily dwelling unit located in a Residential (R-1 through R-30) land use district: Rooms in these types of units may be used for Transient Lodging with a Short-Term Stay Use Registration Notice filed with Development Services. Short Term Stay Uses are limited to no more than five units or 20% of the units in the development. Applicable Land Use Code requirements for Short Term Stay Uses are in LUC 20.20.800.