El Monte, CA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Tax rate
- 10% of rent charged
- Registration deadline
- 30 days after starting business
- Remittance schedule
- Monthly, by end of following month
- Original delinquency penalty
- 10% of tax due
- Continued delinquency penalty
- Additional 10% after 30 days
- Fraud penalty
- 25% of tax due
- Interest on unpaid tax
- 0.5% per month
Summary
El Monte taxes short-term stays at 10% of rent under the Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax, Chapter 3.16. Any operator renting to a transient for 30 consecutive days or less must collect the tax, register with the Tax Administrator, and remit it monthly to the city's Finance Department.
Tax imposed for the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of ten (10) percent of the rent charged by the operator. Said tax constitutes a debt owed by the transient to the city which is extinguished only by payment to the operator or to the city. The transient shall pay the tax to the operator of the hotel at the time the rent is paid. If the rent is paid in installments, a proportionate share of the tax shall be paid with each installment. The unpaid tax shall be due upon the transient's ceasing to occupy space in the hotel.
Full Breakdown
020 broadly enough to cover any structure occupied by transients for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes, not just traditional hotels or motels. A "transient" is anyone occupying space for 30 consecutive calendar days or less. 050. 060 requires every operator to register with the Tax Administrator, the City License Officer, within 30 days of the effective date of the ordinance or of commencing business, and to post the resulting transient occupancy registration certificate conspicuously on the premises. 070, operators file reporting forms and remit the collected tax monthly, due on or before the last day of the month following the reporting month, unless the Tax Administrator sets a shorter period. All tax collected is held in trust for the city. 120. 100.
Violations & Fines
Late remittance draws a 10 percent penalty on the tax due, plus another 10 percent if delinquency continues past 30 days, under Section 3.16.080. Fraudulent nonpayment adds a 25 percent penalty on top of those two. Interest accrues at 0.5 percent per month on unpaid tax until paid. Section 3.16.180 separately bars failing to register, filing a false or fraudulent return, or refusing to pay any sum the chapter requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is El Monte's transient occupancy tax rate?
Who has to register for the transient occupancy tax?
How often must the tax be remitted to the city?
What happens if an operator pays late or underreports?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Monte
How El Monte compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·California rules heatmap·Compare El Monte to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Taxes & Fees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle taxes & fees.