Short Term Rentals are allowed within the City of Upland in Residential Single-Family (RS) and Residential Multi-Family (RM) zones, or in a legally established single-family-attached or single-family-detached residence in a Specific Plan, with the approval of an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) by the City of Upland Planning Division.  The purpose of the AUP is to establish operating standards for the Short-Term Rental and minimize any impacts from noise, parking, or traffic on surrounding neighborhood.

The City's Short Term Rental Ordinance is contained with Chapter 17.23.1 of the Upland Municipal Code. 

What is a Short Term Rental?

A Short Term Rental means a dwelling unit, or any portion thereof, that is rented by the host to another party for a period of not more than 30 consecutive days in exchange of any form of monetary or non-monetary consideration, including trade, fee, swap or any other consideration in lieu of (or including) cash payment.  Short Term Rentals are often used for vacation stays, temporary housing, or business travel and are commonly listed on online platforms for reservation. 

To qualify to participate in the City's Short Term Rental (STR) program, the following requirements must be met:

• The property must be located within the City of Upland.
• The dwelling unit used for the Short Term Rental must be the primary residence of the host.
• The host of the STR must be the property owner, parent, adult child of the property owner, or tenant that occupies the dwelling as their primary residence (with written authorization from the property owner).
• Must be located within Residential Single-Family (RS) zones, Residential Multi-Family (RM) zones, or is a legally established single-family-attached or single-family-detached residence in a Specific Plan. (A short-term rental shall not be permitted in any Mixed-Use zone or any Commercial or Industrial zones.)
• Must provide one additional space for each bedroom of the house to be used for short-term rental, in addition to the minimum parking requirement for the dwelling.
• Must apply for and receive approval of an Administrative Use Permit for a Short Term Rental.
• Must receive and pass a property inspection by the Building and Safety Division to ensure safe living conditions. 
• Must maintain a current business license with the City of Upland. 
• Must quarterly Transient Occupancy Tax (ToT) to the City of Upland. 

If you're interested in establishing a Short Term Rental in the City of Upland, the first step would be to contact the City's Planning Division to verify zoning requirements, confirm eligibility with the requirements, and receive guidance and assistance on the permitting process.  The Planning Division can be reached at (909) 931-4130, via email at planning@uplandca.gov, and/or in-person at the Development Services Department public counter in City Hall, located at 460 N. Euclid Avenue.  

Once you've determined that your property is consistent with zoning and the eligibility requirements can be met, the following steps must be completed:

Business License  -  (909) 348-0460 

Apply for a Business License with the City of Upland.  

Business license applications are submitted online through the City's Business License Portal.  Additional information on the Business License submittal process can be found on the City's Website, here: https://www.uplandca.gov/business-license-services.

Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate - (909) 931-4150

Obtain a Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate with the City's Finance Division.  

Owners or operators who rent out their residential property as a short-term rental are required to charge guests a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) based on the rental amount. Each operator is responsible for reporting TOT to the City and submitting any tax collected, even if no tax is due for a given reporting period.

Short Term Rental Application (Administrative Use Permit) - (909) 931-4130

Apply for an Administrative Use Permit for a Short Term Rental with the City's Planning Division.    

Application forms are available for download on the City's website, below.  Section 17.23.1.030 of the City's Municipal Code details the submittal requirements necessary to make the application.  At the time of submitting a Short Term Rental application, it will be required that you have applied for a Business License and Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate, even if those processes are still pending. 

Property Inspection - (909) 931-4110

Within 30 days of filing an application for a Short Term Rental with the Planning Division, the applicant shall contact the Building and Safety Division and schedule a property inspection.  The purpose of the inspection is to ensure the dwelling to be utilized is legally constructed and safe for habitation.

• Accessory dwelling units cannot be used for Short-Term Rentals.
• Structures not built for habitable use, such as, but not limited to, trailers, tents, tree houses, garages, or temporary structures such as recreational vehicles shall not be used for short-term rentals or satisfy the host occupant requirement of this section.
• The dwelling unit's occupancy, including the host, other residents of the dwelling unit, and guests, during a short-term rental shall not exceed two times the number of bedrooms of the dwelling unit.
• A single dwelling unit shall be limited to one group booking transaction at a time.
• The dwelling unit for short-term rental shall comply with all current State and local building and fire codes.
• No signs are permitted on the property advertising the Short-Term Rental.
• Quiet times shall be from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. pursuant to the City's noise standards provided in Chapter 9.40 of the Upland Municipal Code.
• A host for a short-term rental must maintain for a period of three years a detailed and accurate record of their guest information pertaining to hosting dates, and financial documentation, and make this information available to the City upon request.
• Approved Administrative Use Permits for Short-Term Rentals are valid for a period of 2 years.  An application to renew must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the permit's expiration date. 

Once approved and permitted as a legal Short-Term Rental, the host will be able to offer hosted and un-hosted stays. 

Hosted Stays 

A hosted stay means a short-term rental activity whereby the host remains on the site of his or her primary residence throughout the duration of the guest's stay, except during daytime and/or work hours.  In these cases, a host may rent out a portion of their dwelling for a stay of not more than 30 consecutive days.  

Un-hosted Stays - Limited to 120 days within a calendar year 

An unhosted stay means rental activity whereby the host remains off the site of his or her primary residence-site for some or all of the duration of the guest's stay.  The City's Municipal Code has a limit on the number of days that can be unhosted by a Short-Term Rental in any calendar year.  

During the operation of a Short-Term Rental, the dwelling must be and remain the primary residence of the host.