Short-term rental permit rules in Tulare, CA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
The City of Tulare has not adopted a stand-alone short-term rental (STR) permit ordinance. STR operators must instead obtain a general business license under Tulare Municipal Code Title 5 (Business Licenses and Regulations) and comply with Title 10 Zoning. Tulare County's draft STR ordinance, which would have applied countywide including unincorporated areas, was rejected by the Board of Supervisors 3-2 in 2024. Statewide, California SB 346 (effective Jan 1, 2026) requires platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to share host data with local governments and to collect transient occupancy tax (TOT) on the host's behalf.
Tulare Municipal Code Title 5 requires any person conducting a business, trade, profession, or occupation in the city to obtain a Business Tax Certificate (business license) from the City Finance Department before commencing operations. Renting a dwelling for periods of less than 30 days is treated as a commercial lodging activity and therefore triggers the business license requirement. There is no separate STR permit, no cap on permits, and no zoning overlay specifically limiting STRs. STR operators in single-family zones must still satisfy the underlying residential land use rules in Title 10. Tulare County's draft STR ordinance — which would have required permits, occupancy caps, and a 10% TOT — failed on a 3-2 Board vote in 2024, so unincorporated parcels also have no county STR permit. Under California SB 346 (Cal. Gov. Code added 2025, effective 1-1-2026), cities can now obtain detailed STR listing data directly from Airbnb, VRBO, and similar 'short-term rental facilitators,' which strengthens enforcement of the city's business license requirement against unlicensed hosts.
Operating an STR without a Tulare business license is a violation of Tulare Municipal Code Title 5 and can result in citations, back-taxes (business license fees plus penalties and interest), and potential abatement of the use as an unpermitted commercial activity in a residential zone. Under SB 346, the city may also obtain platform listing data to identify unlicensed operators.
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