If you own an Alhambra home, or you’re considering buying one to rent by the night, Measure HT would bring short-term rental guests under the city’s existing hotel tax. It wouldn’t raise the rate. Your ability to offer the home as a short-term rental is a separate question, governed by permit rules already in place.
As of October 27, 2026, Measure HT is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The result was not known when this was written.
What is being decided?
Measure HT asks voters to change which lodgings and stays fall under Alhambra’s transient occupancy tax.
The City of Alhambra calls it the “Modernization/No Tax Rate Increase Measure” on its Ballot Measures page. The City Council placed it on the ballot on July 27, 2026. Colorado Boulevard’s local coverage also describes the upcoming vote.
A yes vote favors changing the definitions of “hotel” and “transient.” A no vote leaves those definitions unchanged, according to the City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis.
Passage needs a simple majority of votes cast. The ballot ordinance says it would take effect immediately upon approval and stay in effect until ended by a majority of city voters. Until the result is known, treat the tax expansion as proposed.
Which stays would the hotel tax cover?
If adopted, Measure HT would expressly include short-term rentals of residential dwelling units and extend the transient definition from 21 to 30 consecutive calendar days.
The existing tax sits in Alhambra Municipal Code Chapter 5.70. Its current lodging definitions are narrower: motels have six or more rooms, while hotels provide additional services such as restaurants and meeting rooms. The existing definition of a transient covers a right to occupy lodging for 21 consecutive calendar days or less.
The proposed replacement for “hotel” in section 5.70.010 includes a “short-term rental of a residential dwelling unit,” along with other listed lodging facilities. The proposed transient definition covers occupancy for 30 consecutive calendar days or less, counting portions of calendar days as full days.
Those changes appear in Exhibit A of the election ordinance. For a nightly rental plan, the express inclusion of residential short-term rentals is the central change.
Would the rate or your property taxes change?
The rate would stay at $12 for every $100 of rent. The city’s FAQ says Measure HT would not impact Alhambra residents’ taxes.
The city’s FAQ explains that the proposal would apply to visitors staying in short-term rentals and hotel guests. The tax is on guests, measured by rent.
Property tax bills are a separate matter covered in the guide to a California supplemental property tax bill.
The impartial analysis estimates approximately $134,000 in additional annual revenue. That money would go into the General Fund for unrestricted general revenue purposes.
The measure also allows the council to amend Chapter 5.70 later without another vote, provided an amendment does not increase the tax rate. For collection procedures if it passes, ask the Finance Department how collection would work.
Do you still need a short-term rental permit?
Yes, hosts need a city STR permit before offering a unit, regardless of the Measure HT result.
Chapter 5.92 establishes that requirement on and after March 1, 2025. A host may obtain one STR permit for one dwelling unit in Alhambra. The city’s Short-Term Rental Regulations page also says every unit or address needs its own application and business license.
The ordinance caps active permits at 500, or another cap set by City Council resolution. Once the cap is reached, applications go on a waiting list. Renewals take priority over new applications.
The page says new applications opened March 3, 2025, with the first 500 accepted on a first come, first served basis. That doesn’t establish current availability. Before relying on nightly rental income, ask the Code Enforcement Division whether applications are available or subject to a waiting list.
Does the seller’s permit come with the house?
No, an Alhambra STR permit cannot transfer to a new host and does not run with the land.
A permit is valid for one year from issuance and only at the original STR site. A seller’s permit therefore doesn’t establish that you can continue the same rental use after buying. Permit transfer deserves its own check; the Dana Point permit transfer guide addresses that question in another city.
S. keeps a careful spreadsheet for the Alhambra property she occasionally rents to short-term guests. When Measure HT came up, her first question was, “Is this something I pay out of my earnings, or something the guest sees on the bill?” She was not trying to debate the measure. She wanted to understand how a short-term rental tax would move through an ordinary reservation and whether the income figures in her spreadsheet were still useful. That practical question made the ballot language much easier to discuss.
Host eligibility matters too. The host must be a natural person who is the owner of record. A personal or family trust whose beneficiaries are natural persons counts. An LLC or corporation does not qualify.
Which properties can qualify?
Chapter 5.92 allows STRs in all zones except the Industrial zone, with limits on eligible unit types.
Single-family homes, duplexes, condominiums, townhomes and units in buildings with fewer than five units total may be used. ADUs, junior ADUs and units under an affordability covenant are prohibited.
The city page also lists properties with Code Enforcement cases and properties with unsafe conditions as ineligible. Ask Code Enforcement about the specific property rather than treating its current rental listing as proof of eligibility.
For comparison, the Vista short-term rental guide explains how another city does it. Your Alhambra purchase still needs an answer under Alhambra’s rules.
What operating rules already apply?
Existing rules limit occupancy, prohibit commercial events or parties, and require a reachable host or local contact.
Maximum occupancy is two guests per bedroom. Quiet hours run from 10 PM to 7 AM. The host or local contact must be reachable 24 hours and able to respond within 30 minutes to a city complaint. On-site parking is required, and exterior signs advertising STR use are prohibited.
Under Chapter 5.92, administrative fines can reach $1,500 for a first citation, $3,000 for a second and $5,000 for a third within 12 months. Operating without a valid permit can bring a fine up to $5,000 per citation. Three violations in 12 months mean automatic revocation.
The short version
Measure HT would expand the existing hotel tax to short-term rental guests without raising the rate.
The vote remains pending as of the status date above. Your permit questions already matter: eligibility, availability and a permit that cannot transfer from the seller. Contact the Code Enforcement Division at 626-570-3230 about those rules, and ask the Finance Department about tax collection if the measure passes.
This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.
If you’re also weighing a sale, start with the home value tool.
Common questions
Would Measure HT raise the hotel tax rate?
No. The rate would stay at $12 for every $100 of rent. The measure would change the definitions of hotel and transient to include short-term rental stays.
Would Measure HT tax Alhambra residents?
The city's FAQ says Measure HT would not impact Alhambra residents' taxes and would apply to visitors staying in short-term rentals and hotel guests. The tax is on guests, measured by rent.
Does an Alhambra short-term rental permit transfer with a home?
No. The permit cannot transfer to a new host, does not run with the land, and is valid only at the original STR site.
Can an LLC qualify as an Alhambra short-term rental host?
No. A host must be a natural person who is the owner of record. A personal or family trust whose beneficiaries are natural persons counts, but an LLC or corporation does not qualify.
