Short-Term Rentals

On November 23, 2020, the City Council adopted new regulations for short-term rentals in Daly City. A short-term rental is defined as a home or room within a home rented to an individual for 30 consecutive days or less. The regulations became effective on January 1, 2021.

Amnesty Period

The City considers short-term rentals with an active business license operating on or before January 1, 2021 to be existing, unpermitted uses. An amnesty period ending on September 30, 2021 is being provided to allow eligible hosts to conform to the new ordinance. Existing short-term rental uses without an active business license must cease operation and are prohibited from resuming unless and until the use conforms to the requirements of the ordinance.

Regulations

The main regulations are summarized below. Please review Chapter 5.92 of the Daly City Municipal Code for the full list of requirements and regulations.

• The short-term rental must be conducted in the host's primary residence (resides in home for at least 265 days per year)
• Maximum 100 days per year for un-hosted stays (host not on-site during guest's stay).
• No limit on hosted stays (host on-site during guest's stay)
• Guest limit of two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests per stay
• Limit of one booking per property per day
• Host must designate a local responsible contact person available 24 hours per day to address any concerns or requests for assistance
• Hosts are responsible for paying transient occupancy taxes pursuant to Chapter 3.32 of the Daly City Municipal Code
• Properties in the Coastal Zone: The new regulations will not become effective until the California Coastal Commission certifies an amendment to the City's local coastal program pursuant to Section 30514 of the California Public Resources Code. Please contact the Planning Division for more information and/or updates on this process.

How to Apply

A business license and Short-Term Rental Permit are required to operate a short-term rental in Daly City. More information on eligibility, host and short-term rental regulations, and application requirements is available in the Short-Term Rentals Guide and Application.  The required documents include:

1. Short-Term Rental Permit Application
2. Payment for application fee. Payments methods include cash, check made payable to City of Daly City, or credit card (complete and submit Credit Card Authorization Form)
3. Two documents showing evidence of primary residency including (1) a valid state-issued Driver’s License or Identification Card and (2) any of the following:
   • Utility bill
   • Property tax bill
   • Credit card bill
   • Voter registration
   • Bank statement.
4. Notarized supplemental authorization form (if applicant is not the property owner)
5. Notarized Short-Term Rentals Operator Primary Residence Certification and Indemnification and Waiver Agreement

When you are ready to submit your application and the required documents, please contact the Planning Division at 650-991-8033.

More information on business license requirements including the business license application can be found on the Business License Division website.

Expiration and Renewal

Both the business license and Short-Term Rental Permit will expire on September 30th of each year regardless on when the business license and Short-Term Rental Permit are issued and must be renewed annually. For example, business licenses and Short-Term Rental Permit issued on November 1, 2020 and August 1, 2021 will both expire on September 30, 2021.

Applications for Short-Term Rental Permits and business licenses for the next fiscal year (FY2021-2022) will be accepted starting September 30, 2021.

Fees

Questions

For questions regarding Short-Term Rental Permits, please contact the Planning Division by calling 650-991-8033. For any questions regarding business licenses and transient occupancy taxes, please contact the Business License Division at 650-991-5700 or visit the Business License Requirements website.

The approved ordinance and staff reports and drafts of the ordinance from the City Council meetings are available for download below.