Simi Valley, CA Hotels & Lodging: Transient Occupancy Tax (2026)
Key Facts
- Tax rate
- 10% of rent (§ 3-5.303)
- Applies to
- occupancy of 30 days or less
- 'Hotel' definition
- broad; includes short-term rentals
- Registration
- within 30 days of starting business
- Returns due
- quarterly, by month-end
- Late penalty
- 10% + 10% + up to 25% fraud
- Violation
- misdemeanor (§ 3-5.313)
Summary
Simi Valley charges a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on rent for any hotel stay of 30 consecutive days or less under SVMC § 3-5.303, and the code's broad 'hotel' definition in § 3-5.302(a) reaches any commercial lodging, so short-term rental hosts collect and remit the same 10 percent as a motel. Operators register with the Finance Director as Tax Collector.
For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient shall pay a tax in the amount of ten (10%) percent of the rent charged by the operator. Such tax shall constitute a debt owed by the transient to the City, which debt shall be extinguished only by payment to the operator or to the City. The transient shall pay the tax to the operator of the hotel at the time the rent is paid. If the rent is paid in installments, a proportionate share of the tax shall be paid with each installment. Any unpaid tax shall be paid upon the transient's ceasing to occupy space in the hotel.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
302(g) as anyone occupying a room for 30 consecutive days or less. 302(a) defines 'hotel' broadly to include any commercial establishment, or portion of one, that provides transient dwelling, lodging or sleeping space by the day, week or month, not just properties calling themselves hotels or motels; that language is what pulls short-term rentals into the same tax. 305 requires every operator to register with the Finance Director, acting as Tax Collector, and post a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate on the premises. 304. 306, and all collected tax is held in trust for the City until then. 307(d), all merging into the tax owed. 310.
Violations & Fines
Failing to register, filing a false or fraudulent return, or collecting the tax from a guest and not remitting it to the City is a misdemeanor under SVMC § 3-5.313. Unpaid tax accrues a 10 percent penalty for an original delinquency, another 10 percent if still late after 30 days, a 25 percent fraud penalty, and 0.5 percent monthly interest under § 3-5.307, and the Tax Collector can estimate and assess tax due under § 3-5.308 if an operator refuses to report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Simi Valley's transient occupancy tax rate?
Does the transient occupancy tax apply to short-term rentals, not just hotels?
How often do operators have to file transient occupancy tax returns?
What penalties apply for late transient occupancy tax payments?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Simi Valley to another location·View the California hotels & lodging overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Transient Occupancy Tax in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle transient occupancy tax.