Livermore Night Caps Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

The City of Livermore does not have a short-term rental regulatory program and therefore does not implement any night-cap system limiting the number of nights a property may be rented on a short-term basis. A night cap is a regulatory mechanism used by cities that permit short-term rentals to limit the total number of rental nights per calendar year, thereby balancing tourism and rental income against housing availability and neighborhood impact.

Because Livermore has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance and the Livermore Development Code does not include vacation rentals among the permitted or conditionally permitted uses in residential zones, the effective night cap is zero. No nights of short-term rental activity are authorized in residential areas under the current zoning framework.

This is a stricter approach than many comparable California cities: - San Francisco allows up to 90 unhosted nights per year (unlimited hosted nights). - Los Angeles allows up to 120 nights per year for home-sharing. - Oakland allows short-term rentals with registration and TOT collection. - Pleasanton (a neighboring Tri-Valley city) also restricts STRs but has explored regulatory options.

The absence of a night-cap program means there is no pathway for Livermore homeowners to legally rent their property for even a single night on a short-term basis without first obtaining a conditional use permit for a bed-and-breakfast or commercial lodging use — a process that requires Planning Commission approval and is substantially more involved than a simple STR registration.

Homeowners seeking income from their property may explore long-term rental arrangements (30+ day leases), which are permitted in all residential zones, or the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) provisions in the Development Code for long-term rental of a secondary unit.

Code Enforcement investigates complaints about unpermitted STR activity at (925) 960-4430.