Alhambra, CA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)

Because Chapter 5.92 defines a short-term rental as occupancy of 30 or fewer consecutive nights, STR stays fall within the City's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) framework in Alhambra Municipal Code Chapter 5.70, the same tax that applies to hotels and motels; this is the City's own TOT, not the Los Angeles County TOT. Independent industry and local sources report Alhambra's TOT rate at 12% of the rental charge, and that STR hosts must collect and remit it; the City's primary code text confirms the Chapter 5.70 TOT applies but the exact percentage should be confirmed with the Finance Department before relying on it. On the permit side, Section 5.92.040(3) provides that the initial application and each renewal application is accompanied by an application fee established by City Council resolution (amount set administratively, not fixed in the ordinance). Registration also requires an online Residential Business License through the Finance Department, which carries its own non-refundable fee. Section 5.92.040(2) requires the applicant or STR owner to reimburse the City for all building inspection costs, and those payments are nonrefundable even if the application is found not to qualify. There is no separate per-night City surcharge in the ordinance beyond TOT, the business license, and the permit application fee.