Fullerton, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- 4+ unit license tax
- $25 plus $5 per extra unit
- STR registration tax
- $25 per year
- Governing chapter
- FMC Title 4, Chapter 4.06
- Enacted by
- Ord. 2766 (1991); Ord. 3290 (2020)
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Fullerton Municipal Code § 4.06.025 requires anyone renting four or more residential housing units to pay an annual business license tax of $25 plus $5 per additional unit. Anyone renting a dwelling or part of one as a short-term rental under 30 days must separately pay a $25 annual registration tax. Both fall under Title 4's business tax chapter, enforced as a misdemeanor for noncompliance.
(A) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, every person or entity conducting, managing or carrying on the business of renting four or more residential housing units shall pay an annual license tax of $25 plus $5 for each additional residential housing unit.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, every person or entity conducting, managing or carrying on the business of renting a permanent dwelling or part of a permanent dwelling unit for the purposes of short-term rental, as that term is defined in § 4.92.020 shall pay an annual registration tax of $25.
Full Breakdown
025(A) of the Fullerton Municipal Code applies 'notwithstanding any other provisions of this title' to 'every person or entity conducting, managing or carrying on the business of renting four or more residential housing units,' fixing the license tax at $25 for the first unit and $5 for each additional unit. 06 classifications. 92 and any zoning short-term rental permit the use requires. Both classifications trace to Ord. 2766 in 1991 and were updated by Ord. 3290 in 2020, the same ordinance that folded short-term rentals into the city's transient occupancy tax structure.
020(A)(2), which references the 'original registration certificate' issued once the minimum tax is paid, the same pay-first pattern the rental classifications follow before a rental business may lawfully operate.
Violations & Fines
Title 4 makes noncompliance a misdemeanor under § 4.02.300: any person violating a business tax requirement, including the residential rental license and short-term rental registration taxes, is punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in County Jail, or both. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, so an unlicensed multi-unit landlord can face cumulative daily penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fullerton require landlords to register rental units?
How much does Fullerton charge to rent out four or more units?
Do short-term rental hosts owe this fee on top of the transient occupancy tax?
What happens if a landlord doesn't pay the rental license tax?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fullerton
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