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Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Hillsborough, California

Hillsborough, San Mateo County · Ordinances checked 2026-10-05 · Reviewed · 7 cited sections

Not allowed

No. Hillsborough treats rentals of fewer than 30 days as prohibited commercial "transitory lodging" in residential areas, and advertising them is also banned. You can rent your home, or a single room in the home you live in, for 30 days or longer.

Short-term rental definitionLodging for fewer than 30 days for compensation [1]
StatusProhibited commercial use (including advertising) [3]
Minimum rental term30 days [1]
Single-room rentalAllowed for 30+ days in your own home [6]
ADU/JADU minimum rental30 days [7]

Short-term rentals are banned

Hillsborough defines a short-term rental as renting all or part of a residential building as lodging for fewer than 30 days for compensation, and classifies it as "transitory lodging" [1]. Single-family property may be used only for residential purposes, not for commercial purposes of any kind [2], and the code lists "transitory lodgings and advertisement of transitory lodgings" as an example of a prohibited commercial use [3]. That means renting your house, a room or a guest house on Airbnb or VRBO for stays under 30 days is not allowed, and even advertising such a listing is a violation. There is no registration, permit or owner-occupancy exception that would allow it.

What is allowed

  • Renting the whole house for 30 days or more to a single household is ordinary residential use.
  • Renting one room in the home where you live for at least 30 days (a "limited long-term room rental") [5] is treated as part of the permitted single-family use [6].
  • Boarding houses (renting two or more bedrooms separately, even for 30+ days) are also transitory lodging and fall under the same prohibition [4].

ADUs

An ADU or junior ADU can't be rented for less than 30 days, regardless of when it was built [7].

State law

California sets no statewide short-term rental license, and cities may ban or limit STRs; state law also requires the 30-day minimum for by-right ADUs and JADUs.

See how Hillsborough compares with 8+ other California towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →

Next steps

  1. Don't list your home, rooms or ADU on Airbnb/VRBO for stays under 30 days; use leases of 30 days or more.
  2. If renting a single room, make sure it's in the home where you live and for at least 30 days.
  3. Questions or complaints go to Hillsborough Code Enforcement, (650) 375-7572.

Common questions

Are short-term rentals legal in Hillsborough, California?
No. Hillsborough treats rentals of fewer than 30 days as prohibited commercial "transitory lodging" in residential areas, and advertising them is also banned.
Can I list my home on Airbnb in Hillsborough, California?
Not for stays under 30 days. You can rent your home, or a single room in the home you live in, for 30 days or longer.
Can I rent out an ADU as a short-term rental in Hillsborough, California?
No. The minimum rental term for an ADU or JADU is 30 days.
Who do I contact about short-term rental complaints in Hillsborough, California?
Questions or complaints go to Hillsborough Code Enforcement.

California state rules for short-term rentals

California has no statewide short-term rental license or registry. Your city or county decides whether and how you can rent on Airbnb or VRBO, including permits, caps, primary-residence rules and minimum stays.

Taxes: cities and counties may levy a transient occupancy tax (TOT) on stays of 30 days or less (Rev. & Tax. Code §7280). Rates and registration are local, and the county rate applies only in unincorporated areas.

New platform reporting law: since January 1, 2026, a city or county can adopt an ordinance requiring platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to report the address of each short-term rental (Gov. Code §50990 et seq., SB 346). Where a city has opted in, listings must also show the local license number and TOT certificate.

ADUs and SB 9 units: state law lets cities require that ADUs be rented for 30 days or longer. It requires that for by-right ADUs, junior ADUs and units built under SB 9 lot splits (see ADUs).

Coastal zone: in a December 2016 letter, the Coastal Commission said:

  • STR rules in the coastal zone must be adopted through the city's Local Coastal Program or a coastal development permit, and bans adopted any other way are likely not enforceable there.
  • The Commission has not historically supported blanket STR bans, finding they unduly limit public access to the coast.
  • It has supported reasonable limits, such as caps on the number of rentals, occupancy limits, and limits on which housing types can be rented.

State sources: Rev. & Tax. Code §7280 (transient occupancy tax) · SB 346 (2025), Stats. 2025, ch. 751 (short-term rental facilitator reporting) · Gov. Code §66315 (ADU rentals of 30 days or longer) · Gov. Code §66323 (by-right ADU rentals longer than 30 days) · California Coastal Commission, Short-Term/Vacation Rentals in the California Coastal Zone (Dec. 6, 2016)

What the ordinance says

Exact text from Hillsborough's published ordinances. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Sec. 17.08.245, Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.08 Definitions (17.08.245 Short-term rental; 17.08.285 Transitory lodging; 17.08.270 Structure), p. 1
    "Short-term rental" means the use of any residential building, or of any portion of a residential building, to provide lodging for fewer than thirty days in exchange for compensation. A short-term rental is a type of transitory lodging.
  2. Sec. 17.16.020(B), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.16 Uses Permitted (17.16.015 home business permit; 17.16.020 commercial uses incl. transitory lodging prohibited), p. 1
    Use of real property and improvements thereon for single-family dwellings, as set forth in subsection A of Section 17.16.010, shall be limited to use for residential purposes exclusively and not for commercial purposes, incidental or otherwise, of any kind, including any semblance of commercial activity;
  3. Sec. 17.16.020(D)(2)(i), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.16 Uses Permitted (17.16.015 home business permit; 17.16.020 commercial uses incl. transitory lodging prohibited), p. 1
    Transitory lodgings and advertisement of transitory lodgings.
  4. Sec. 17.08.020, Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.08 Definitions (17.08.245 Short-term rental; 17.08.285 Transitory lodging; 17.08.270 Structure), p. 1
    "Boarding house" means the use of any residential building, or of any portion of a residential building, where two or more bedrooms are rented separately from the rest of the house for a period of 30 or more days in exchange for compensation. A boarding house is a type of transitory lodging.
  5. Sec. 17.08.115, Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.08 Definitions (17.08.245 Short-term rental; 17.08.285 Transitory lodging; 17.08.270 Structure), p. 1
    "Limited long-term room rental" means the long-term rental of a single room in a resident's domicile. "Long-term" here means for a duration of at least thirty days.
  6. Sec. 17.16.010(B)(1)(a), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.16 Uses Permitted (17.16.015 home business permit; 17.16.020 commercial uses incl. transitory lodging prohibited), p. 1
    A limited long-term room rental shall be deemed part of the permitted use as a single-family dwelling.
  7. Sec. 17.52.020(E)(4)(a), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.52 Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, p. 1
    No ADU or JADU may be rented for a term that is shorter than thirty days. This prohibition applies regardless of when the ADU or JADU was created.
This page summarizes Hillsborough's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-05. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Town of Hillsborough Code Enforcement (Code Compliance Coordinator), 1600 Floribunda Ave.; Building Division (650) 375-7411, Planning (650) 375-7422 ((650) 375-7572) before you build. Spot an error?