San Mateo, California Short-Term Rental Market
San Mateo allows non-owner-occupied STRs (120-night cap if unhosted); Bay Area market averaged $260/night in June 2026.
Quick Answer: San Mateo, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the San Francisco market area is 83%. average monthly revenue in the San Francisco market area is $5,556. average daily rate in the San Francisco market area is $260. the top operator in the San Francisco market area is Blueground with 273 listings. market score is 92/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the San Francisco regional market, which includes San Mateo. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to San Mateo.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
San Mateo adopted a short-term rental ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 5.66) effective February 1, 2021. Any legal dwelling unit may be a short-term rental except Accessory Dwelling Units, which are barred, and there is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, a meaningfully more permissive framework than nearby San Francisco or San Rafael. When the host is not present on site, the unit may be rented for a maximum of 120 days per year; hosted stays have no day cap.
San Mateo is a Bay Area city on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly midway between San Francisco and Silicon Valley near SFO airport, with a population of roughly 101,680. It draws a mix of business and tech travelers, event attendees, and regional leisure visitors rather than being a standalone destination market.
StaySTRA tracks San Mateo’s short-term rental performance at a shared San Francisco Bay Area regional level covering San Mateo alongside Half Moon Bay, Redwood City, San Anselmo, San Francisco, San Rafael and Stinson Beach, so the figures below describe the Bay Area STR market rather than San Mateo alone. Because San Francisco itself is part of this pool, treat the following as a regional figure that likely runs well above what San Mateo alone would show. Listing-type mix, bedroom mix and top property managers are also tracked at that shared regional level, so this profile omits those breakdowns rather than presenting regional totals as San Mateo-specific.
In June 2026, the Bay Area STR market posted an average daily rate of $260 and occupancy of 83.1%, producing average monthly revenue of $5,556 per listing, up 11.6% year over year.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 63% |
| Feb | 67% |
| Mar | 70% |
| Apr | 68% |
| May | 72% |
| Jun | 78% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 74% |
| Sep | 73% |
| Oct | 71% |
| Nov | 64% |
| Dec | 61% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for San Mateo are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in San Francisco market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the San Francisco market as a whole, which includes San Mateo, so these counts are not San Mateo-only figures.
| # | 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 San Mateo?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for San Mateo are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 71.8% |
| vrbo | 4.6% |
| both | 23.6% |
Home Value Trends (San Mateo)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for San Mateo are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for San Mateo — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
The City of San Mateo adopted a short-term rental ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 5.66), effective February 1, 2021. Operators must complete three steps: register the STR (annual $250 registration fee, due July 1), obtain a city business license, and file a transient occupancy tax certification. The city’s TOT rate is 14% of total rent (room rate, cleaning fees and related charges), collected from guests and remitted monthly; HdL Companies administers registration and TOT.
Any legal dwelling unit may be a short-term rental except Accessory Dwelling Units, which are barred. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, but when the host is not present on site the unit may be rented for a maximum of 120 days per year; hosted stays have no day cap. Occupancy is limited to 2 people per bedroom or 10 per property (whichever is less), off-street parking is required, a local contact must respond to complaints within 60 minutes, and parties and special events are prohibited.
Violations can lead to administrative citations, fines, and revocation of the STR registration. Investors should note the separate, stricter County ordinance governs the unincorporated Coastal Zone (Half Moon Bay area) with a 180-night cap and 10% county TOT, not the city of San Mateo. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
The Bay Area STR market’s June 2026 occupancy of 83.1% ran far above the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, and its $260 ADR also ran well above the roughly $220 national median, a combination pointing to a market with both exceptional demand and a real rate premium.
Top property manager data (which operators lead the market, their listing counts and reviews) is tracked at the shared Bay Area regional level rather than uniquely for San Mateo, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than presenting regional totals as San Mateo-specific. Investors researching who manages properties in San Mateo should review individual listing pages directly, keeping in mind San Mateo’s more permissive zoning (any legal dwelling type except ADUs) compared to several neighboring cluster cities.
Frequently Asked Questions About San Mateo, California
Do I need to live in the property to operate a short-term rental in San Mateo, CA?
How many nights per year can I rent an unhosted San Mateo STR?
What was the average daily rate for STRs in the Bay Area in June 2026?
How much does an STR permit cost in San Mateo?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in San Mateo?
Does San Mateo's STR ordinance apply to Half Moon Bay?
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