Fontana, California Short-Term Rental Market
Fontana, CA STRs averaged $208/night at 54.2% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 4.6% year-over-year.
Quick Answer: Fontana, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 63%. average monthly revenue is $3,834. average daily rate is $227. the top operator is Evolve with 88 listings. market score is 53/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Riverside regional market, which includes Fontana. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Fontana.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Fontana is a large city in California’s Inland Empire (San Bernardino County), approximately 50 miles east of Los Angeles. It functions primarily as a residential and logistics hub rather than a leisure destination, and its STR market reflects that: demand is comparatively flat year-round, driven by regional travelers, business visitors, and proximity to the LA metro area rather than a single seasonal event.
The STR market has approximately 7,513 active listings by listing type (entire place: 4,893, private room: 2,601, shared room: 19). The bedroom mix is dominated by 1-bedroom units at 3,830 listings, roughly 51% of all bedroom-classified supply, which is consistent with a market serving individual travelers and short-term housing needs rather than group vacation rentals. The channel mix skews heavily toward Airbnb: 5,212 listings are Airbnb-only versus 200 VRBO-only, with 2,101 on both platforms.
In April 2026, the average daily rate was $207.94 and occupancy was 54.2%, producing a RevPAR of $112.77. Year-over-year, occupancy rose 2.6%, ADR dipped 1.75%, and revenue grew 4.6%. The seasonality score of 97.8 out of 100 reflects exceptionally consistent year-round demand, with occupancy ranging only from 51.2% in January to 62.8% in July across historical averages. The total market score is 53.0.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51% | $161 | $2,426 |
| Feb | 57% | $163 | $2,382 |
| Mar | 58% | $172 | $2,684 |
| Apr | 56% | $179 | $2,855 |
| May | 56% | $175 | $2,697 |
| Jun | 62% | $200 | $3,291 |
| Jul | 63% | $187 | $3,223 |
| Aug | 57% | $174 | $2,806 |
| Sep | 55% | $167 | $2,539 |
| Oct | 57% | $173 | $2,688 |
| Nov | 54% | $179 | $2,721 |
| Dec | 57% | $181 | $2,820 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Fontana
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 88 | 1,911 | ★ 4.58 |
| 2 | New Spirit Vacation Homes | 60 | 3,551 | ★ 4.46 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 46 | 2,851 | ★ 4.53 |
| 4 | Host / Eric | 45 | 40 | ★ 4.67 |
| 5 | Holidale | 44 | 11 | ★ 4.57 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Fontana?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,830 |
| 2 bed | 936 |
| 3 bed | 994 |
| 4 bed | 967 |
| 5 bed | 769 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $300 |
| Luxury | $498 |
| Professionally Managed | $432 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,460 |
| Entire Place | $4,985 |
| House | $4,000 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 69.4% |
| vrbo | 2.7% |
| both | 28% |
Investment Analysis
No housing price data was available for Fontana at the time of this report, so a gross yield estimate cannot be calculated. Investors should source current home values independently.
The 2025 annual average monthly revenue was $3,142, implying an annualized run rate of approximately $37,704 at the average listing level. This is below the national average for STR markets, reflecting the modest ADR in an industrial/residential market versus leisure destinations. However, the occupancy consistency is notable: the 2025 annual average occupancy of 56.1% shows a market that stays above 50% every month of the year historically, which reduces the cash-flow volatility that affects more seasonal destinations.
Tier differentiation is very large. The luxury tier averaged $484.16/night in April 2026, more than double the all-listings average of $207.94. Professionally managed listings averaged $390.43/night, 87.8% above the market average. Entire-home listings averaged $273.74/night versus $207.94 overall, and entire-place listings generated $4,253 per month in April versus $2,213 for apartment-style units. This gap suggests that premium positioning and entire-home inventory substantially outperform the base market. The revenue growth score of 58.6 and investability score of 52.9 indicate a mid-tier market without the accelerating momentum seen in resort-oriented markets.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
In April 2026, Fontana’s average booking lead time was 37.7 days, roughly five weeks in advance. This is shorter than many leisure markets (which average 55-60 days) and consistent with a market where demand is driven by travelers who make plans on shorter timelines, including business visitors, regional travelers, and people in extended relocation situations.
The average length of stay is 4.89 nights, near the five-night mark. This is one of the longer average stays in the current batch and reflects the mix of travelers using Fontana STRs, including people on multi-day work assignments and those seeking temporary housing. At nearly 5 nights per booking, turnover frequency is lower than weekend-destination markets, reducing per-booking cleaning and turnaround costs. Operators should note that a longer average stay combined with a lower ADR can still produce competitive monthly revenue if occupancy remains consistent.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
The City of Fontana, California does not appear to have a dedicated, publicly documented short-term rental ordinance as of the profile research date. No verified STR-specific permit requirement, permit fee, occupancy tax rate, or night-count cap was found in primary city sources during research. Operators should confirm current requirements directly with the City of Fontana Planning Department, Business License Division, or Code Compliance before listing.
A note for researchers: online STR guides that cite a Fontana permit fee of approximately $667, a 12.5% transient occupancy tax, a 7-day minimum stay, and Wisconsin-style ‘Tourist Rooming House’ permit categories are describing the Village of Fontana, Wisconsin, not the City of Fontana, California. Those requirements do not apply here.
For the City of Fontana, CA: STRs do operate on major platforms and are not known to be prohibited. Operators should expect to need a City of Fontana business license and, for stays of 30 days or fewer, registration and remittance under the city’s transient occupancy tax provisions (Municipal Code Chapter 10). The San Bernardino County STR program governs only unincorporated areas and does not apply to incorporated Fontana.
Market Comparison
At 54.2% occupancy in April 2026, Fontana is near the US STR median of approximately 55%. The April ADR of $207.94 is just below the US median of approximately $220, reflecting the market’s positioning as a functional travel hub rather than a premium destination. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 56.1% tracks closely to national medians.
The top operator landscape is moderately fragmented. Evolve leads with 88 listings and 1,911 reviews (4.58 average rating), followed by New Spirit Vacation Homes with 60 listings and 3,551 reviews (4.46 rating), and Vacasa with 46 listings and 2,851 reviews (4.53 rating). Together these three account for 194 listings out of approximately 7,513 total by listing type, or about 2.6% of the market, indicating a highly fragmented market with no dominant operator. The Airbnb-heavy channel mix (5,212 Airbnb-only vs. 200 VRBO-only) reflects the traveler profile of this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fontana, California
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