Chico imposes a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on lodging stays of 30 days or less under authority of Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §7280, collected by the operator and remitted to the City Finance Department. Short-term rental operators must also obtain a City of Chico business license (Chico Municipal Code Title 5 — Business Taxes, Licenses & Regulations). The fee schedule is set annually by City Council resolution rather than fixed in the code.
California Revenue & Taxation Code §7280 authorizes any city to levy a tax on the privilege of occupying lodging (hotel, inn, tourist home, motel, or other living space) for 30 days or less; Chico exercises this authority and treats short-term rental hosts as 'operators' obligated to collect TOT from guests, file periodic returns, and remit to the City Finance Department (530) 879-7320. A business license under CMC Title 5 is required for any person engaging in business in the city, including renting residential property to transient guests. Hosting platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo do not automatically collect Chico TOT for hosts in all cases — operators remain personally liable for collection and remittance. The current TOT rate and business license tax tables are published in the City of Chico Master Fee Schedule (adopted by Council resolution and updated each fiscal year). Operators should confirm current rates with the Finance Department before pricing listings.
Failure to obtain a business license or collect/remit TOT can result in back taxes, penalties, interest, and suspension of the right to operate. Unlicensed business activity is a violation of CMC Title 5 and is enforceable as a municipal code infraction/misdemeanor under CMC Title 1 general penalty provisions.
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