San Francisco Short-Term Rental Registration: 275 Nights, a 90-Night Unhosted Cap and Two Registrations

If you want to rent a room or a home in San Francisco for stays of less than 30 nights, the city's short-term rental rules start with one question: do you permanently live in that unit? Only the permanent resident of a unit may host a short-term rental there. Owning the property or already having a listing does not change that. The rules appear in San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 41A.5(g) and are administered by the Office of Short-Term Rentals (OSTR). This guide covers the residency test, the 90-night cap on unhosted stays and the two registrations you need. It does not cover the general business registration and gross receipts tax, which belong to the city's separate business registration guide.

Informational content, not legal or tax advice. This article summarizes San Francisco's short-term rental rules. Rules, fees and processes can change. Confirm current requirements with OSTR and the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector before you list a unit. If your situation is complex, such as co-owned property, more than one unit or a rental business held in an entity, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.

Who Can Host: Only the Permanent Resident

Under San Francisco's rules, the permanent resident of the unit is the only person who can host a short-term rental in that unit. That means the person who actually lives there, not an investor who owns the building or a tenant who wants to list a room without the owner's residency.

The 275-Night Residency Test

To count as the permanent resident, you must spend at least 275 nights a year in the residential unit where the hosting happens. Nights spent at a different home do not count toward the unit you are listing. The city can check this, and the count matters for both hosted and unhosted rentals.

Unhosted stays of 30 nights or more also count when the city checks whether you meet the 275-night test. Keep records that show where you slept each night, such as a personal night log, and check with OSTR for the documents it accepts. The checklist at the end of this guide includes a step for this.

Hosted vs. Unhosted Stays and the 90-Night Unhosted Cap

San Francisco separates two kinds of short-term rental:

• Hosted stays: You are present in the unit during the guest's stay, such as a spare room in the home where you live.
• Unhosted stays: You are away while the guest uses the unit, such as when you rent your full home while traveling.

The key number for unhosted rentals is 90. Unhosted short-term rentals are capped at 90 nights per calendar year. The cap is counted by calendar year, so it resets on January 1. If you rent your whole unit while you are away, track every unhosted night against this limit, because the city will not treat the cap as a suggestion.

A short-term rental is a stay of less than 30 nights. Listings for longer stays must show a 30-night minimum. Stays of 30 nights or more fall outside the short-term rental definition, but as noted above, they still count toward the 275-night residency test.

Multi-Unit Buildings: Register Only One Unit

If your building contains more than one unit, you may register only the one unit that is your primary residence. You may not register a second unit in the same building. Owners of duplexes, triplexes and small apartment buildings should plan around this limit before they buy, lease or convert a property into a rental.

The Two Registrations You Need

San Francisco short-term rental registration requires two separate approvals, in this order:

1. A Business Registration Certificate from the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector.
2. A short-term rental certificate from the Office of Short-Term Rentals (OSTR).

Holding a business registration does not satisfy the OSTR requirement. Even a host who already holds a business registration and remits hotel tax must still register with OSTR. The two agencies handle different things, and you need both approvals in place before you take a booking.

Step 1: Business Registration Certificate (Treasurer and Tax Collector)

The Treasurer's business registration is an annual requirement. The annual registration fee follows a schedule based on San Francisco gross receipts or payroll. The Treasurer publishes the schedule for each registration year, and the schedule for the registration year starting April 1, 2026 is on the Treasurer's website. Check the current schedule at sftreasurer.org rather than relying on a figure from a forum or a platform help page.

The gross receipts tax applies only to businesses above the $5,000,000 small business exemption. A typical individual host is not expected to owe it, but confirm your status with the Treasurer, especially if you rent several units or have large annual receipts.

Transient occupancy tax is a separate question. This guide does not state a rate. Ask the Treasurer whether you owe it, and ask your hosting platform whether it collects and remits the tax on your behalf. Do not assume the platform handles it.

Step 2: Short-Term Rental Certificate (OSTR)

The OSTR certificate is the second layer, and it is the one most people mean when they search for a San Francisco OSTR certificate in California. The application fee is $925 according to the Planning Department's FAQ, and an approved registration is valid for two years from approval. Confirm the current fee on the OSTR page before you pay, because fees can change.

Your application must include documents that show the unit is your primary residence. OSTR publishes the accepted list, so check with the office for the current requirements before you assemble your file. You can reach OSTR at [email protected] or 628.652.7599.

Platforms Will Check Your Registration

Hosting platforms must confirm that a home is registered with OSTR before they provide booking services for it. In practice, that means your listing will not go live, or will be removed, without a valid registration. Put your registration number in every listing, since the platform will ask for it and guests may check for it.

What Happens If You Host Without a Valid Certificate

Hosting after an application is denied or after a certificate is revoked can bring a notice of violation. Penalties are $484 per day per residential unit. If your registration is denied or revoked and you appeal, you must stop hosting while the appeal is pending. Continuing to host during an appeal is the fastest way to turn a registration problem into a daily penalty.

San Francisco Short-Term Rental Rules in California: The State Context

California does not issue a general business license. The Secretary of State issues no licenses or permits, so the registrations described here come from San Francisco, not the state. The state's general requirements for forming an entity, such as an LLC, sit alongside these city rules. If you form an LLC to hold a rental property, that filing does not replace either San Francisco registration.

Short-Term Rental Checklist

• Confirm that you live in the unit at least 275 nights a year, and keep records that show it.
• Register with the Treasurer and Tax Collector and check the current fee schedule on sftreasurer.org.
• Apply to OSTR for the short-term rental certificate and confirm the current $925 fee and two-year validity.
• Put the OSTR registration number in every listing, since platforms must verify it before booking.
• Track unhosted nights against the 90-night cap for each calendar year.
• Keep a night log that records hosted and unhosted nights, guest dates and where you slept.
• Stop hosting while any denial or revocation is under appeal.