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

Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 5.76, adopted to regulate the proliferation of short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO, imposes a primary-residency framework rather than a numeric night cap. The host must occupy the dwelling as their primary residence for a minimum of 275 days per calendar year. Because 365 minus 275 equals 90, hosts are left with a practical window of no more than approximately 90 days per year during which they could be absent and simultaneously renting — though the ordinance does not frame this as a "90-night cap" and does not authorize blocks of non-primary-residence time for rentals.

The practical effect is significant: a host who rents the property while present (hosted rental, such as renting a spare room) may do so for any number of nights as long as they are in the home for at least 275 days annually. A host who vacates the entire property to rent it out (unhosted rental) must not do so for so many nights that their total non-primary-residence time exceeds 90 days. Platforms are required by state law (AB 537) to remove listings that lack valid city permit numbers upon city request. Pasadena actively monitors platforms for unlicensed listings and sends compliance notices. Hosts who are found to have listed properties without permits, or who no longer occupy the property as a primary residence, are subject to permit revocation and civil penalties. Contact the Pasadena Finance Department at (626) 744-4355 for permit and TOT information.