Lake Elsinore short-term rentals are taxed as hotels under the City's Transient Occupancy Tax, charged at 10% of rent and remitted quarterly. Hosts collect and remit TOT under Chapter 3.32 LEMC, plus pay business license and STR fees set by Council resolution.
A short-term rental is a hotel for purposes of Chapter 3.32 LEMC (LEMC 5.86.020), so stays are subject to the City's Transient Occupancy Tax. The City collects TOT at 10% of rent, remitted quarterly within 30 days of the period. Each operator must obtain a TOT registration certificate under LEMC 3.32.060 and collect and remit TOT through the Finance Department (LEMC 5.86.090(T)). This 10% is the City's own tax, not Riverside County's, which applies only in unincorporated areas. The ordinance also requires a Chapter 5.08 business license and application fees set by City Council resolution; the code fixes no dollar amount, so confirm exact fees on the City schedule. The owner also pays the actual cost of inspections (LEMC 5.86.120).
Failure to collect or remit the 10% Transient Occupancy Tax is enforced under Chapter 3.32 LEMC, separate from the STR license. Operating without paying required fees leaves the rental unpermitted, exposing the owner to fines up to $5,000.
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