Hemet, CA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee amount
- Set by city council resolution, capped at administration cost
- Fee applies to
- New, renewal, reinstatement and transfer applications
- TOT responsibility
- The owner, even when an agent or platform remits
- Directed platform remittance
- Before the last day of the month after each quarter
- Listing requirement
- Permit number and TOT certification number on every ad
- Penalty for unremitted TOT
- Permit revocation under section 18-714(1)e
- Reinstatement window
- 30 calendar days after a permit closure
Summary
Hemet charges a short-term rental permit fee that the city council sets by resolution and caps at the city's actual cost of running the program, and every permit holder must make sure transient occupancy tax is collected and remitted to the city. Hosts must also print their permit number and TOT certification number on every listing and tell guests the tax amount before booking.
An application for a new annual permit, the renewal of an existing permit, the reinstatement of a permit, or the transfer of a permit shall be accompanied by a fee established by resolution of the city council; provided, however, the fee shall be no greater than necessary to defer the cost incurred by the city in administering the provisions of this chapter and for providing the answering service. ... (10) The owner shall: a. Ensure that all transient occupancy taxes are collected and remitted to the city and otherwise comply with all transient occupancy tax requirements. b. If the owner uses an agent to collect and remit the transient occupancy tax, either voluntarily or as directed by the city, the owner shall be responsible for ensuring that the agent collects and remits the transient occupancy tax to the city. c. If the administrative services director directs, in writing, a hosting platform or short-term rental facilitator to collect and remit the transient occupancy tax, the owner shall:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Hemet's short-term lodging article (Article XVIII of Chapter 18, rewritten by Ordinance No. 2075 on April 28, 2026) puts two money obligations on every host: a permit fee and the transient occupancy tax, or TOT.
Permit fee. Section 18-707 requires a fee with every application for a new annual permit, a renewal, a reinstatement or a transfer. The code prints no dollar amount. The city council sets it by resolution, and the code caps it: the fee can be no greater than necessary to cover what the city spends administering the article and providing the answering service. Section 18-715 adds that these permits and fees sit on top of any other license, permit or fee in the Code, and section 18-709(13) requires a valid business license alongside the short-term lodging permit.
TOT duty. Under section 18-709(10)(a) the owner must ensure that all transient occupancy taxes are collected and remitted to the city. If the owner uses an agent, the owner still answers for the agent's collection and remittance. If the administrative services director directs a hosting platform or short-term rental facilitator in writing to collect and remit, the owner must make sure the platform does so, and each return must carry copies of receipts showing the rental date, the platform name, the tax collected and proof it was remitted. Section 18-701 names Airbnb and Vrbo as facilitators. A directed platform must remit before the last day of the month after each calendar quarter, unless the director sets a different reporting period under section 18-711(a), and no platform may collect or remit without that written authorization.
Advertising. Section 18-709(14) requires the city-issued permit number and the TOT certification number on every advertisement, and the guest must be told the amount of the TOT before the booking is completed.
Permit consequences. Section 18-706(a)(5) and (6) require denial of an application when the owner lacks TOT registration or has not paid any TOT, fee, penalty, fine, inspection cost or hearing fee owed to the city. Section 18-716(b) closes a permit after one year with no rental activity, shown by $0.00 remitted on the TOT forms or by unreturned forms.
Violations & Fines
Failing to collect and remit TOT on a permitted unit is a ground for revoking the permit under section 18-714(1)e. The director serves written notice, revocation takes effect after 30 calendar days unless the owner requests a hearing and pays the hearing fee, and the city manager decides within 30 days of the hearing. Section 18-713 makes any violation of the chapter unlawful and subject to an administrative citation. Platforms that skip required reports or omit the permit and TOT numbers face an administrative fine, counted per calendar quarter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Hemet short-term rental permit fee?
Does Airbnb collect Hemet's transient occupancy tax for me?
What must my Hemet listing show about taxes?
Can unpaid tax or fees block my Hemet permit?
What happens to a Hemet permit with no rentals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hemet
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