Fullerton Registration Rules Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Fullerton's short-term rental registration framework requires that every STR property comply with listing transparency, tax collection, safety, and neighborhood notification requirements. The city-issued permit number must be prominently displayed in all online listings on platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, as well as in any offline advertisements. Listings without a valid permit number are subject to enforcement action.

Operators must collect the city's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on every booking and remit it to the Finance Department on a monthly or quarterly basis as directed. Failure to collect or remit TOT is treated as a tax violation separate from any code enforcement action.

Before a permit is issued, the property must pass a safety inspection conducted by the city or a city-approved inspector. The inspection verifies that smoke detectors are installed in all bedrooms and hallways, carbon monoxide alarms are present on every level, at least one fire extinguisher (minimum 2A:10BC rating) is accessible, and all bedrooms have compliant emergency egress windows or doors. The unit must also meet basic habitability standards.

Maximum occupancy is set at two persons per designated bedroom plus two additional persons, subject to the overall occupancy limits of the building code. The total occupancy may not exceed what is permitted by fire code. Inside the unit, operators must post house rules including quiet hours (10 PM to 7 AM), trash collection schedule, parking instructions, maximum occupancy, the local contact person's name and phone number, and emergency numbers including 911 and the Fullerton Police non-emergency line. Operators must also notify neighbors within 100 feet of the property of the STR operation and provide the local contact person's phone number.