Half Moon Bay, California Short-Term Rental Market
Half Moon Bay STRs averaged $221/night at 71.6% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 5.9% year over year.
Quick Answer: Half Moon Bay, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 83%. average monthly revenue is $5,556. average daily rate is $260. the top operator is Blueground with 273 listings. market score is 92/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the San Francisco regional market, which includes Half Moon Bay. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Half Moon Bay.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Half Moon Bay is a coastal San Mateo County city approximately 30 miles south of San Francisco, drawing primarily Bay Area weekend travelers seeking Pacific coastline, beaches, and small-town atmosphere. The visitor base includes surf enthusiasts attracted to the world-famous Mavericks big-wave break, hikers and cyclists on the Coastside Trail, and visitors to the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, which draws more than 200,000 attendees each October.
The STR market supports approximately 11,650 active listings, of which 8,762 (75%) are entire-place units and 2,832 are private rooms. Airbnb dominates the channel distribution: 8,369 listings are Airbnb-exclusive, 2,749 list on both platforms, and 532 list only on VRBO. The bedroom composition skews strongly toward smaller units, with 6,657 one-bedroom listings, 2,435 two-bedrooms, 1,501 three-bedrooms, and 1,033 listings of four bedrooms or more.
As of April 2026, the market averaged $221.22 per night with 71.6% occupancy, generating a RevPAR of $158.38 and average monthly revenue of $4,264. Year-over-year trends are positive: occupancy rose 1.0 percentage point, ADR increased 4.5%, and revenue grew 5.9%. The overall investment score is 91.99 out of 100, with an exceptional seasonality score of 98.76 and revenue growth of 97.52. However, the investability subscore of 45.94 is notably low, reflecting the regulatory constraints that apply to non-primary-residence operators in this market.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63% | $181 | $3,071 |
| Feb | 67% | $182 | $3,094 |
| Mar | 70% | $188 | $3,583 |
| Apr | 68% | $192 | $3,543 |
| May | 72% | $197 | $3,720 |
| Jun | 78% | $215 | $4,313 |
| Jul | 77% | $205 | $4,248 |
| Aug | 74% | $209 | $4,136 |
| Sep | 73% | $202 | $3,846 |
| Oct | 71% | $196 | $3,765 |
| Nov | 64% | $191 | $3,231 |
| Dec | 61% | $191 | $3,165 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Half Moon Bay
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blueground | 273 | 85 | ★ 4.24 |
| 2 | Kasa Properties | 76 | 3,135 | ★ 4.50 |
| 3 | Luxury Bookings FZE | 60 | 31 | ★ 4.30 |
| 4 | Landmark | 53 | 214 | ★ 4.55 |
| 5 | Anyplace | 44 | 87 | ★ 4.86 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Half Moon Bay?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 6,657 |
| 2 bed | 2,435 |
| 3 bed | 1,501 |
| 4 bed | 670 |
| 5 bed | 363 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $318 |
| Luxury | $652 |
| Professionally Managed | $436 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $4,720 |
| Entire Place | $6,604 |
| House | $6,113 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 71.8% |
| vrbo | 4.6% |
| both | 23.6% |
Investment Analysis
Half Moon Bay’s STR performance metrics are strong, but regulatory constraints fundamentally limit the investment model available here. No housing snapshot data is available for this area, so purchase price and yield calculations cannot be provided.
At the market average of $4,264 monthly revenue, a listing at typical performance would generate approximately $51,168 annually. Entire-place listings significantly outperform at $5,039 per month (approximately $60,468 annually), while houses averaged $4,572 per month and apartments averaged $3,811.
ADR by tier reveals the premium range. Standard listings averaged $221.22 per night. Entire-home listings averaged $267.11 (a 21% premium). Professionally managed properties averaged $310.43 (a 40% premium), and luxury-tier listings reached $536.84 per night (a 143% premium over the market average).
However, the investability score of 45.94 out of 100 directly reflects the core investment constraint: Half Moon Bay’s STR ordinance (effective August 2023) requires that the operating property be the operator’s primary residence for at least half the year. Non-owner-occupied investment STRs are subject to a strict 60-night annual cap in the unhosted configuration. This effectively eliminates the traditional non-resident investment STR model that drives returns in most other markets.
The legitimate investor use cases in Half Moon Bay are: (1) an owner who lives at the property and hosts occasionally in the hosted or short-term model up to the permitted limits, or (2) a primary homeowner who uses the property as a primary residence and rents unhosted for up to 60 nights per year as supplemental income. Buyers seeking full-time STR income from a non-primary-residence investment property should treat this market as effectively closed to that strategy.
The 2025 annual average ADR of $219 and annual average revenue of $4,246 per month demonstrate that the market itself performs well for those who qualify to operate.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Half Moon Bay guests book an average of 41.75 days in advance and stay an average of 5.73 nights. The 42-day lead time is shorter than many destination markets, reflecting the Bay Area regional visitor base: many travelers plan weekend getaways on relatively short notice. Operators can hold rates firm for the first two to three weeks of the booking window and shift to flexible pricing as the departure date approaches.
The nearly six-night average stay is notably long for a weekend-oriented regional market. This likely reflects the mix of longer week-plus stays from out-of-area visitors combining Half Moon Bay with Bay Area business or tourism, alongside the traditional weekend warrior trips. Longer stays per booking reduce cleaning turnover and administrative overhead, improving net margins.
Given the 60-night annual cap on unhosted operations, operators subject to that restriction should optimize for the highest-ADR nights (summer weekends and the October Pumpkin Festival weekend) rather than volume. Hosted operators with no night cap should focus on maximum occupancy in the summer peak months of June and July.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Half Moon Bay regulates short-term rentals (stays of 30 days or fewer) under an ordinance adopted in 2021-2023, certified by the California Coastal Commission, and effective August 2023.
Operating an STR requires three separate registrations before the first guest: a Short-Term Rental Permit under Half Moon Bay Municipal Code Chapter 18.06.025, a city Business License, and a Transient Occupancy Tax registration certificate. The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) rate is 15%, applied to rent including cleaning fees, with monthly filing required.
The primary-residence requirement is the central compliance constraint: the operator must use the property as their primary residence for at least half the calendar year. A long-term tenant (residing on-site for at least two years) may operate with written owner consent. This effectively restricts STRs to owner-occupants or established long-term tenants.
Night-cap rules depend on hosting configuration. Unhosted STRs (operator not present during the stay) are limited to 60 nights per calendar year. Hosted STRs (operator present) have no night cap. Occupancy is generally limited to approximately 8 guests per night. STRs are permitted in residential zones and certain commercial and mixed-use zones but are prohibited in accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Enforcement is classified as strict. The city employs a dedicated Community Preservation Specialist for STR compliance. A local responsible party must be available for timely response to guest or neighbor complaints.
Market Comparison
The national STR median occupancy is approximately 55% and median ADR approximately $220. Half Moon Bay significantly outperforms on occupancy at 71.6% while matching the national ADR median at $221.22 in April 2026. The combination of high occupancy and steady ADR reflects the sustained weekend-getaway demand from the Bay Area’s large affluent population base.
The overall market score of 92.0 out of 100 places Half Moon Bay in the top tier nationally for revenue and demand quality. The seasonality score of 98.76 is exceptional, indicating extremely consistent year-round demand. The investability score of 45.94 is a direct signal of the regulatory constraint on non-resident investment STRs.
Among professional operators, Blueground leads with 273 listings (4.24 rating), though Blueground primarily serves the medium-term furnished rental market rather than short-stay leisure travel. Kasa Properties ranks second with 76 listings and 3,135 reviews (4.50 rating), also oriented toward extended stays. Anyplace, ranked fifth with 44 listings, holds the highest guest rating among the top five at 4.86. The low review counts relative to listing counts for the top operators suggest many listings in this market serve longer-stay or corporate tenants rather than pure vacation rentals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Half Moon Bay, California
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