Every STR in Temecula must register with the city, obtain a Short-Term Rental Permit and Business License, and remit Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Registration includes inspection, insurance certificate, local contact designation, and posting of the permit number on all listings. Operating without a permit is a citable offense.
Temecula requires every short-term rental operator to: (1) obtain a Short-Term Rental Permit from the city Planning/Code Enforcement Department; (2) hold a current Temecula Business License; (3) register with the City Finance Department for Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) collection at the city's current rate (commonly 8-12% in California cities); (4) display the city-issued STR permit number in every online listing (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc.); (5) designate a 24-hour local contact reachable within 30-60 minutes; (6) provide certificate of insurance; (7) submit floor plan and parking diagram; (8) consent to inspection. Application includes a non-refundable fee (typically $250-$500) and annual renewal. TOT is collected from each guest and remitted monthly or quarterly under California Revenue & Taxation Code §7280. Many platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) collect and remit TOT automatically under voluntary collection agreements with the city; verify your platform's status. Operating an unpermitted STR is an administrative violation with fines starting at $1,500 under Gov Code §53069.4, plus back-TOT, penalties, and listing-platform takedown notices. The city can issue stop-rental orders and platforms cooperate with city enforcement under California Senate Bill 60 (2021) policies.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Temecula code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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