San Bernardino, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 15.26.050, Business Registration Compliance
- Applies to
- Single-family rentals, 3 units or fewer
- Cross-referenced requirement
- Title 5 business registration
- Excluded
- Multi-family complexes of 4+ units
- Penalty for noncompliance
- Misdemeanor or infraction under § 15.26.180
Summary
Every owner of a single-family rental property in San Bernardino must hold a current business registration under Title 5 before renting the unit, as a condition of the city's rental inspection program. Failing to register alongside other inspection-program noncompliance can draw an infraction or misdemeanor citation.
COMPLIANCE WITH BUSINESS REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. Every property owner subject to this chapter must comply with the business registration requirements of Title 5.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
040 as a dwelling unit in a structure with three or fewer units that is occupied by someone other than the owner, together with the premises, including parking lots, driveways, landscaping, accessory structures, fences, walls, pools, hot tubs and spas. 27's mandatory maintenance program. 130. 020(B) makes the chapter's obligations 'supplementary and complementary to other provisions of this code,' the Title 5 business registration requirement applies on top of, not instead of, any other license or permit the rental business needs. 26 and can be cited the same way as an owner who refuses an inspection or fails to pay the inspection fee.
Violations & Fines
An owner who has not complied with the Title 5 business registration requirement is in violation of Chapter 15.26 and can be charged, at the City Attorney's discretion, as a misdemeanor or an infraction under § 15.26.180 and § 1.12.010, with infraction fines up to $100 for a first offense rising to $500 for later offenses within a year, and a fourth violation becoming a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register my rental property with the city?
Does the registration requirement apply to my duplex or fourplex?
What happens if I rent out a unit without registering?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle rental registration.