Irvine vs Santa Ana
How do transient occupancy tax rules compare between Irvine, CA and Santa Ana, CA?
Irvine and Santa Ana have similar restriction levels.
Irvine, CA
Orange County
Orange County levies a Transient Occupancy Tax on hotel, motel, and short-term rental stays under 30 days within unincorporated areas, collected by operators and remitted to the County Treasurer-Tax Collector quarterly.
View full Irvine rules →Santa Ana, CA
Orange County
Santa Ana imposes an 11% transient occupancy tax on stays of 30 days or fewer at hotels, motels, and short-term rentals. Operators collect the tax from guests and remit monthly to the city finance department.
View full Santa Ana rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Irvine | Santa Ana |
|---|---|---|
| Code | OCCO Title 2 Ch. 2-3 | - |
| Applies to | Unincorporated area only | - |
| Threshold | Stays 30 days or fewer | 30 days or fewer |
| Filing | Quarterly returns | Monthly to city |
| Tax rate | - | 11% of room rate |
| Exemption | - | 31-day stays |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Irvine FAQ
Does OC's TOT apply inside Anaheim hotels near Disneyland?
No. Anaheim is incorporated and levies its own TOT separately. The County TOT covers only unincorporated lodging like Coto de Caza or Silverado short-term rentals.
Are stays longer than 30 days taxed?
No. Once a guest occupies the same lodging for more than 30 consecutive days, the stay becomes non-transient and TOT no longer applies for that period.
Santa Ana FAQ
Does Airbnb collect Santa Ana TOT for me?
In most cases yes, under a voluntary collection agreement, but hosts should confirm in their platform settings and still hold a city short-term rental permit and TOT registration certificate.
Are corporate stays exempt?
Only if the same guest occupies the room for 31 or more consecutive days. Rolling reservations under different employee names do not qualify and remain fully taxable.
Compare other topics
See how Irvine and Santa Ana compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool