City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Fresno, CA
How Fresno regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- Administrative STR permit + zone clearance required
- Transient occupancy tax (TOT) applies; whole-home permitted, no owner-occupancy, no citywide cap
Based on: Fresno Municipal Code (Citywide Development Code) Ch. 15, Article 48 Short-Term Rentals (added by ORD 2021-011, adopted
Summary of the rule
Fresno Municipal Code §7-1249 (added Ord. 2019-032; current through Supp. 54 / Ord. 2026-002) establishes an administrative/ministerial short-term-rental permit issued when the owner meets listed requirements. Whole-home/absentee STR is permitted — 'Owner' expressly includes lessees and there is NO owner-occupancy/primary-residence requirement. The codified section contains NO citywide cap, NO Hosted/Non-Hosted permit class, and no '198' limit (a '198 Non-Hosted cap / Chapter 15 Article 48' appears only in third-party operator guides and is contradicted by the codified law). A real STR-specific process with whole-home permitted and no foreclosing supply device.
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Fresno · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.