Pasadena, CA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Tax rate
- 7% of rent charged per stay
- Governing chapter
- PMC Chapter 4.44, Transient Occupancy Tax
- Filing deadline
- Last day of month after each quarter
- Late penalty
- 10%, rising to 50% after 20 days
- Fraud penalty
- Additional 25% of tax owed
- Interest
- 1% per month on unpaid tax
- Recordkeeping
- Three years of stay records required
Summary
Pasadena hosts must collect a 7% transient occupancy tax from every short-term rental guest and remit it to the tax administrator, on top of complying with the permit process in Section 17.50.296. Registration, quarterly reporting, and three years of recordkeeping are mandatory, and late payment triggers escalating penalties.
G.3.The host shall fully comply with all the requirements of PMC Chapter 4.44 (Transient Occupancy Tax) and any successor sections. ... 4.44.030 - Tax imposed. For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of 7% of the rent charged by the operator. The tax constitutes a debt owed by the transient to the city which is extinguished only by payment to the operator or to the city. ... 4.44.080 - Penalties and interest. A.Original Delinquency. Any operator who fails to remit any tax imposed by this chapter within the time required shall pay a penalty of 10% of the amount of the tax.B.Continued Delinquency. Any operator who fails to remit the tax on or before the 20th day following the date on which the tax first became delinquent shall pay a second delinquency penalty of 10% of the amount of the tax in addition to the amount of the tax and the 10% penalty first imposed pursuant to subsection A herein, up to a maximum of 50% of the amount of the tax.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
44, the city's Transient Occupancy Tax ordinance, as a condition of the rental permit. 030, each transient guest owes a tax equal to 7% of the rent charged, collected by the host (the 'operator') at the time rent is paid and held in trust for the city. 060. 070 requires a return and full remittance on or before the last day of the month following the close of each calendar quarter, or on a shorter cycle the tax administrator sets; all collected tax must be turned over immediately if the business stops operating.
296(G)(2) separately requires the host to keep three years of records, including the number and length of every stay and the price charged, and to hand those records to the planning and community development department when renewing the STR permit. 296(H). 080.
Violations & Fines
Failing to remit the tax on time adds a 10% penalty, escalating to 50% if delinquency continues past 20 days, plus 25% for fraud and 1% monthly interest under Section 4.44.080. After four years of nonpayment the tax administrator can record a lien against the operator's real property under Section 4.44.140, then issue a collection warrant to a sheriff or marshal under Section 4.44.150. Operators can appeal an assessment within 10 days of notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pasadena's short-term rental occupancy tax rate?
How often do Pasadena short-term rental hosts file occupancy tax returns?
What happens if a Pasadena host doesn't pay the transient occupancy tax on time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
How Pasadena compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California short-term rentals overview
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