Alhambra, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- License base
- Gross-receipts table, § 5.04.200
- Multi-address rentals
- One license, combined receipts
- Owner-occupied unit
- Excluded from rental count
- Small landlord discount
- 50% off if receipts ≤$20,000
- Finance Dept. authority
- Can demand address/receipts list
Summary
Anyone who operates a hotel, apartment house, boardinghouse, or rents rooms or apartments in Alhambra must hold an annual business license under § 5.04.202, priced on the same gross-receipts table as other businesses. The Director of Finance can demand a full list of every rental address and its receipts.
(A) Except as hereinafter provided in division (D), every person engaged in the business of conducting or operating a hotel, roominghouse, boardinghouse, apartment house, lodginghouse, apartment or bungalow court, and every person engaged in the business of renting or letting rooms, apartments or other accommodations shall pay an annual license fee based upon the total gross receipts of such business in accordance with the table set forth in § 5.04.200 of this code. ... (E) The Director of Finance may require any such person to furnish a statement of the street addresses of all such rental units within the city and the amount of gross receipts received from each such location.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 4851, passed 10-27-25).
Full Breakdown
200. 202(B). 202(C): a unit actually occupied by the owner is not counted as a rental unit, and a second unit is excluded if the first is owner-occupied and the owner holds no more than two rental units citywide. 200's table is cut in half. 202(E) gives the Director of Finance authority to require any such licensee to furnish a statement listing the street address of every rental unit in the city and the gross receipts collected from each one, functioning as the city's mechanism for tracking who is operating rental housing. 203 and are not covered by this residential provision.
Violations & Fines
Operating a rental business without first procuring the license required by § 5.04.202 is unlawful under the general license requirement of § 5.04.025(A). Late license taxes carry the escalating penalty in § 5.04.191, from 10% the first month up to 100% of the tax by the fifth month (minimum $5 or 10%), plus 1% monthly interest under § 5.04.192 beginning the sixth month of delinquency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alhambra require a license to rent out property?
Do I need separate licenses for each rental property in Alhambra?
Is my owner-occupied unit counted as a rental in Alhambra?
Can the city ask for a list of my rental addresses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alhambra
California rules heatmap·Compare Alhambra to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle rental registration.