colorful Victorian 'Painted Lady' row house with ornate bay windows in San Francisco, California

Night-capped · 90/yr

Short-term rental laws in San Francisco, CA

San Francisco caps un-hosted short-term rentals at 90 nights per year, requires the host to be a permanent resident, and mandates registration. The 90-night cap deeply haircuts investor revenue.

Last updated 2026-05-04·Source: SF Office of Short-Term Rentals / Admin Code Ch. 41A

The current rules

What San Francisco actually requires

San Francisco limits un-hosted (whole-unit) short-term rentals to 90 nights per year and requires the operator to be a permanent resident registered with the city.

Applying the 90-of-250-night cap haircuts projected revenue to roughly a third of an uncapped year — usually enough to push an investor DSCR below 1.0.

This is a market where the honest answer is often “it doesn’t pencil as a pure STR”; a mid-term-rental pivot is the realistic path.

Does it still pencil?

A $810,000 3BR at 25% down

Revenue cap-adjusted $95,000 → $34,200/yr.

0.55×cap-adjusted STR DSCR

Tight — at this price it falls below typical STR-lender floors. More down, a stronger-revenue property, or a mid-term pivot can fix it.

Run your San Francisco address

FAQ

San Francisco STR-law questions

Is short-term rental legal in San Francisco?

San Francisco caps un-hosted short-term rentals at 90 nights per year, requires the host to be a permanent resident, and mandates registration. The 90-night cap deeply haircuts investor revenue. (Source: SF Office of Short-Term Rentals / Admin Code Ch. 41A, as of 2026-05-04.) Always confirm current rules with the jurisdiction before purchasing.

How much does an Airbnb make in San Francisco?

A typical 3-bedroom projects around $95,000/yr from 28 comparable listings within 0.75 mi, trailing 12 months (AirROI + Rabbu comps). Revenue scales with bedroom count and amenities; lenders verify via Form 1007 or operating statements.

Does San Francisco’s 90-night cap kill my DSCR?

Not automatically, but it haircuts revenue. We scale projected revenue to the capped share of an uncapped year (90/250 nights) before computing DSCR. Sometimes it still clears a lender floor; sometimes a mid-term-rental pivot is the answer.

Will the rules in San Francisco change?

Likely — STR ordinances are moving city by city in 2026. This page was last checked 2026-05-04; we re-check on a monthly minimum and on ordinance events. Confirm the current rule with San Francisco before closing.

Can I get a DSCR loan on an Airbnb with no rental history?

Yes. 9 of the 10 STR lenders we track qualify the loan on a market revenue projection (AirDNA/Rabbu) or an appraiser’s Form 1007 short-term-rent schedule, so no operating history is required for many programs.

What DSCR do STR lenders require?

Most set a floor around 1.0 on the cap-adjusted DSCR (revenue ÷ PITIA). Some offer no-ratio or sub-1.0 STR programs at a premium for thinner deals. The engine shows your ratio against each lender’s specific floor.

How current is this information?

Revenue and rate figures render from the data layer with an “as of” date; STR legality is re-checked on a monthly minimum and on ordinance events, because stale legality is worse than none. Every status shows when it was last checked and a source to verify.

San Francisco feasibility All cities STR → MTR pivot

Legality: Short-term-rental rules change frequently and vary by city, county, and HOA. Legality shown reflects publicly available sources as of the date displayed; it is not legal advice or a permitting determination. Confirm current rules, permits, and HOA/condo restrictions with the local jurisdiction before purchasing.

Revenue: Projected revenue is an estimate from comparable listings and is not a forecast of your results. Lenders independently verify income, typically via appraisal (Form 1007/1008) or 12-month statements. This is not a loan decision or offer.

Run a San Francisco address before you buy.

Free · No credit pull · Legality included · Not a call center.

Check the Address