Is Airbnb Legal in Napa? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Permit required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

15%

Fine for hosting without a permit

$1,000

Listings showing a permit number

0%

Next rule change

Jan 1, 2027

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Any owner who rents a home in the City of Napa to guests for fewer than 31 days, on Airbnb or any other channel.^2,6,7,8,9

Issued by

City of Napa Planning Division, Community Resources and Development Department

Valid for

One year from the effective date; the city reviews each permit before the year ends (no earlier than 275 days after the effective date) and extends it a year when the owner complies.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

The code requires the City of Napa Certified Vacation Rental permit number in every advertisement, and under Ordinance O2026-007, adopted August 4, 2026, booking platforms must report the address of each Napa short-term rental to the city every month.

Fees

Who qualifies

• Hosted permit: the owner lives at the home (domicile), sleeps there while it is rented, in a bedroom that is not rented, and rents no more than two bedrooms; residency is verified during review
• Non-hosted permit (whole house): all 41 permits are taken and applications are not accepted; the only route is a transfer of an existing permit to a buyer of the property
• Only the owner holding title can apply, and every title holder signs
• The home cannot be under HOA bylaws or CC&Rs that prohibit vacation rental use, and an accessory dwelling unit cannot be rented
• A property within 500 feet of a bed and breakfast inn or another vacation rental must show how it will limit the effect of concentrated transient use on neighbors

How to apply

1. 1 Watch the city's Vacation Rental Permits page for an application window; new applications are taken only during advertised periods, and non-hosted applications are closed.
2. 2 Confirm that you own the home, live in it, and that no HOA rules ban rentals.
3. 3 Email the signed PDF application to planningdepartment@cityofnapa.org with proof of ownership and residency, the rental agreement with the city's standard rules, a site plan and photographs, and mail the $976 check and two sets of 500-foot mailing labels.
4. 4 If your application is drawn in the lottery, complete the supplemental submittal, then pay the inspection fee and agree to the permit rules once the city conditionally approves it.
5. 5 After approval, register for the hotel tax and the business license, and pass the annual fire and life safety inspection.

Permit rules

City permit required for any short stay

Renting a home in Napa to guests for fewer than 31 days is a code violation unless the city has approved a vacation rental permit, a hotel use or a bed and breakfast use permit for it.^2,6

All 41 non-hosted permits are taken

All 41 non-hosted permits are issued and the wait list is full, and the city is not accepting non-hosted applications.^6,13 Applies to: Non-hosted accommodations

New applications only in advertised windows

The city takes new permit applications only during advertised periods, and the most recent hosted window ran from October 1 to October 15, 2026, with applications drawn by lottery after it closed.⁶ In force since October 1, 2026

Only non-hosted permits can be transferred

A non-hosted permit can pass to a buyer of the home only after the Community Development Director approves the transfer, and a hosted permit can never be transferred.^2,6

One-year permit with an annual review

A permit is valid for one year and is reviewed each year; if the owner cannot document at least 10 rented days in the permit term, the city may treat the permit as inactive and refuse to extend it.²

Permit number in every advertisement

Every advertisement, online or on paper, must show the City of Napa Certified Vacation Rental permit number, and no one may advertise a Napa home for short stays without a permit.²

Platforms report Napa listing addresses monthly

Under Ordinance O2026-007, booking platforms must give the city the address of every Napa short-term rental booked in the prior month by the 20th of the following month.^3,16 Applies to: Booking platforms

Advertised price must include mandatory fees

Since July 1, 2024, California's Honest Pricing Law (SB 478) bars a host or platform from advertising a short-term rental price that leaves out mandatory fees; government taxes and fees may be listed separately.⁵ In force since July 1, 2024

Hosted permit: the owner lives in the home

A hosted permit is for an owner who lives at the home and sleeps there while it is rented, in a bedroom that is not rented to guests, and who rents no more than two bedrooms.^2,6 Applies to: Hosted accommodations

Non-hosted permit: whole-house rentals

A non-hosted permit covers a whole-house rental where the owner is not required to live in the home but must name an authorized agent as operator and contact person.^2,6 Applies to: Non-hosted accommodations

Citywide cap of 41 non-hosted and 60 hosted permits

The city may issue no more than 41 non-hosted and 60 hosted vacation rental permits, 101 in all, and they are not tied to zones: the cap applies across the whole city.^2,6 In force since November 3, 2015

No accessory dwelling units

An accessory dwelling unit cannot be used for short stays under any Napa vacation rental permit.²

No HOA or CC&R ban on rentals

Applicants certify that the property is not under homeowners association bylaws or CC&Rs that prohibit use as a vacation rental.⁷ In force since August 31, 2026

Outside city limits: unincorporated Napa County bans short stays

The city permit does not apply outside city limits: Napa County Code section 18.104.410 prohibits short-term rentals in every residential and agricultural area of the unincorporated county, whichever site lists the property.¹⁴ Applies to: Unincorporated Napa County

Two guests per bedroom plus two, never more than 10

Overnight guests are limited to the number on the permit, which cannot exceed two per bedroom plus two more, and never more than 10 people sleeping at the home; the 2026 hosted application lists a maximum of 4 proposed overnight occupants.^2,7

Vehicles capped at the number of overnight guests

The number of guest vehicles cannot exceed the number of overnight renters on the permit, guests must use the designated on-site spaces, and limousine or bus parking that blocks emergency access is barred.^2,15

Quiet hours 9 pm or 10 pm to 7 am

Quiet times run from 9 pm to 7 am Sunday to Thursday nights and 10 pm to 7 am Friday and Saturday nights, and pools and hot tubs follow the same hours.^2,15

No weddings, auctions or commercial events

Weddings, auctions, commercial functions and similar events are prohibited at a vacation rental.^2,15

Reachable by phone and on site within one hour

The owner (hosted) or authorized agent (non-hosted) must be reachable by phone around the clock while the home is rented and must reach the property within one hour of a call about a problem.²

Smoke detectors, extinguisher and exit rules

Every rental needs smoke detectors, a portable fire extinguisher, a street-visible address, unobstructed exit doors with no double-keyed deadbolts, and an emergency-number packet for guests.²

Fire and life safety inspection every year

The Fire Department inspects every licensed vacation rental each year, typically from February to April, and bills the owner in 30-minute increments.^2,8

Annual mailing to neighbors within 500 feet

Permit holders mail an annual notice to every property owner within 500 feet and certify the mailing by July 31 each year.^2,8

City business license and hotel tax registration

Permit holders must keep a City of Napa business license and comply with the city's transient occupancy tax ordinance for the rental.^2,12

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$360

Taxes on that night (15%)

$54

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$414

What the host still handles

• A City of Napa transient occupancy registration certificate from the Finance Department, obtained within 30 days of starting to rent and posted at the property
• A City of Napa business license (a business license tax based on gross receipts), which the permit ordinance requires
• A monthly return and payment of the 12% hotel tax, 1% housing tax and 2% TID assessment on the city's form; the return is due on the 10th and covers the month before last, so October rentals are due December 10
• Hotel tax shown as a separate line from the rent on each guest's receipt^{1,3,4,10,11,12,19}

• Operating or advertising a transient rental in Napa without a vacation rental permit: $500 for a first violation, $750 for a second within 12 months, and $1,000 for each day of each additional violation within 12 months, on top of the enforcement costs and fines in Section 1.16.050 of the code.²
• A permit can be revoked or modified at any time if the rental is detrimental to public health, safety or welfare, the owner gave materially false information, or the permit rules are broken; an uncured compliance order can lead to a stop order, a Planning Commission hearing or an administrative citation.²
• Late hotel tax: a 10% penalty on the tax due, a second 10% if still unpaid 30 days later, a 25% fraud penalty where it applies, and interest of 1% a month.³

1. January 1, 2027 Upcoming
   Vacation rental program fee steps up

   The master fee schedule raises the Vacation Rental Program Fee from $661 a year to $680 on January 1, 2027, with further annual increases to $742 by 2030.⁹

2. October 1, 2026
   Hosted permit applications open for two weeks

   The city took hosted vacation rental permit applications from October 1 to October 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM, accepted no non-hosted applications, and reviews the applications by lottery after the window closed.⁶

3. August 31, 2026
   City revises the hosted permit application

   The Planning Division posted a revised hosted application that lists a $976 administrative permit fee, a maximum of two bedrooms and a maximum of 4 proposed overnight occupants.⁷

4. August 4, 2026
   Napa requires platforms to report listings

   Ordinance O2026-007 added Section 3.20.065 to the hotel tax chapter, requiring booking platforms to report the address of each Napa short-term rental every month.³

5. October 13, 2025
   California signs the Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act

   SB 346 lets any California city or county require booking platforms to report the address of each short-term rental, once the city adopts an ordinance.¹⁶

6. November 3, 2015
   Napa adopts its vacation rental ordinance

   The City Council adopted Ordinance O2015-13, creating hosted and non-hosted vacation rental permits with a cap of 60 hosted and 41 non-hosted permits; the last amendment to the section was Ordinance O2017-007 on March 7, 2017.²

Estimate what a Napa home could earn

1. 1. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 7280 - Occupancy taxes · California Legislative Information
2. 2. Napa Municipal Code Chapter 17.52, Section 17.52.515 Vacation rental permits · City of Napa
3. 3. Napa Municipal Code Chapter 3.20 Transient Occupancy Tax · City of Napa
4. 4. Napa Municipal Code Chapter 3.22 Transient Occupancy Special Tax for Affordable and Workforce Housing · City of Napa
5. 5. SB 478 - Hidden Fees (Honest Pricing Law) · California Attorney General
6. 6. Vacation Rental Permits · City of Napa Planning Division
7. 7. Hosted Accommodation Vacation Rental Permit Application and Submittal Requirements (revised 8/31/2026) · City of Napa Planning Division
8. 8. Resources for Permit Holders · City of Napa Planning Division
9. 9. City of Napa Master Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2026) · City of Napa
10. 10. Transient Occupancy Tax Return and TID Assessment (effective 6/16/2025) · City of Napa Finance Department
11. 11. Transient Occupancy Tax · City of Napa Finance Department
12. 12. FAQs: Do I need a license to conduct business in Napa and why? · City of Napa Finance Department
13. 13. Wait List, Non-Hosted Vacation Rentals, Fall 2026 · City of Napa Planning Division
14. 14. PBES Code Compliance: Short-Term Rentals in Unincorporated Napa County · Napa County
15. 15. Standardized City Rules for Inclusion in All Contracts · City of Napa Planning Division
16. 16. The Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025 (Senate Bill 346) · California State Controller's Office
17. 17. Vacation Rental Permit Transfer Application (non-hosted, 2023) · City of Napa Planning Division
18. 18. Responsible hosting in the United States · Airbnb Help Center
19. 19. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in California · Airbnb Help Center