All United States guides
San Francisco skyline
Airbnb Regulations  ·  United States · CA

Airbnb in San Francisco: License, Income & Investment Guide 2026

By HostPal Editorial·Updated 311 days ago·Source: Inside Airbnb + Government registry

San Francisco Airbnb market: 55% occupancy, ~£121 ADR. Regulation: San Francisco requires the host to be a permanent resident of the unit and caps un-hosted STR at 90 nights/year. Registr

At a glance
Median occupancy
55%
Median daily rate
£121
Active listings
4,491
7,522 total
Revenue per available night
£47

When San Francisco Airbnbs perform best

Monthly occupancy data shows the seasonal rhythm of the San Francisco short-term rental market. Use this to plan dynamic pricing, target peak demand, and avoid lulls.

San Francisco — monthly occupancy 42% 43% 41% 39% 46% 45% 46% 57% 57% 56% 65% 48% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 100% 0%

How San Francisco compares to United States

Benchmarked against 34 other United States markets we track, San Francisco's metrics tell a clear story.

Occupancy vs national
+13 pts vs national
National median: 42%
Daily rate vs national
+12.1% vs national
National median: £108

License & regulation

Risk: highLicense requiredRegistration required90-night annual cap

San Francisco requires the host to be a permanent resident of the unit and caps un-hosted STR at 90 nights/year. Registration with the Office of Short-Term Rentals is mandatory; building / HOA consent is also typically required.

Worst case
Non-resident investor STR is non-compliant — practical ceiling is hosted lets only.

Source: https://sf.gov/topics/short-term-rentals

What kind of Airbnbs are in San Francisco?

Of the 4,491 active operating listings, 64.9% are entire homes (vs private rooms), and 58.2% are operated by Airbnb Superhosts.

Bedroom mix among active listings
1 BR
2 BR
3 BR
Studio: 8%1 BR: 59.4%2 BR: 18.9%3 BR: 10%4+ BR: 3.7%

Top neighborhoods in San Francisco

The 37 neighborhoods we track range from established tourist hotspots to emerging investment zones. Here are the five strongest by revenue.

NeighborhoodListingsOccupancyRevPARYoY
Presidio Heights1961%£98—
Seacliff6—£88—
Presidio561%£86—
Castro/Upper Market21255%£79—
Noe Valley15160%£78—

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Airbnb occupancy in San Francisco?
Active Airbnb listings in San Francisco run at ~55% occupancy. Source: Inside Airbnb.
What is the median daily rate for an Airbnb in San Francisco?
The median Airbnb daily rate (ADR) in San Francisco is approximately £121. Based on listings with at least one review in the last 12 months.
How many active Airbnb listings are in San Francisco?
There are approximately 4,491 active short-term rental listings in San Francisco (listings with at least one booking in the last 12 months).

Keep exploring

Regulation deep-dive
Airbnb rules in San Francisco
Risk level: high · 90-night cap
More in this country
All United States markets
Compare cities, find the best yield
Head-to-head
San Francisco vs Pacific Grove
Side-by-side metrics + bottom line
Head-to-head
San Francisco vs Santa Cruz County
Side-by-side metrics + bottom line
Head-to-head
San Francisco vs New Orleans
Side-by-side metrics + bottom line
Going deeper?

Get the full San Francisco investment report

Property-level financials, stress tests, neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdowns, and an AI verdict on whether to buy.

See the full report →
Already hosting here?

Your guests are texting right now

HostPal answers them on WhatsApp 24/7 — in 50+ languages, from your own house rules and guidebook. Emergencies get escalated to you; the WiFi password doesn't. Live in under 10 minutes, no PMS required.

Try HostPal free for 7 days →
Methodology. Market metrics are derived from Inside Airbnb's 2025-11 snapshot, filtered to active listings (those with at least one booking in the last 12 months). Year-over-year deltas compare against the closest archived snapshot ~12 months prior. Sample sizes: occupancy n=1,763, ADR n=3,856.