Short-term rental rules in National City
LimitedCapped at 180 permits; the owner must live in the city or within a quarter mile.
Verified Oct 20, 2026 · confidence medium · rules change, so confirm with the city before you buy.
Homes for sale on parcels in National City today
50 active listings
- 49 STR limited
- 1 STR: check
Homes for sale on the MLS (no land, rentals or 55+ communities), by the status of each home's parcel under these rules. Updated daily.
See these listingsThe rules
- Who may host
- An owner living in National City or within a quarter mile.
- Where
- Citywide, 45 per council district.
- Minimum stay
- 2 nights
- Occupancy tax (TOT)
- 10%, paid by the guest
- Cap
- Capped, count not published. 180 permits (45 per council district), first come, first served; the city publishes no count of permits issued. (as of Oct 20, 2026)
- When the home sells
- Doesn't transfer: the buyer applies for a new permit.
- Mid-term
- A stay of 31+ nights is outside the short-term rules and TOT.
- Also
- One non-primary short-term rental per owner; non-hosted stays at most 90 days a year.
- Permit $250 a year; the city's portal opened in September 2026.
HOA
An HOA may ban rentals of 30 days or less (Civ. Code §4741). A city permit doesn't override the CC&Rs.
The parcel decides
These rules apply to parcels in National City, whatever the mailing address says. Check an address to see which rules apply to one home.
Sources
Verified Oct 20, 2026 · confidence medium. This is a summary, not legal advice.