Fontana, California Short-Term Rental Market
Fontana and the Inland Empire STR market posted $198 ADR, 55.4% occupancy, $2,968 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Fontana, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Riverside market area is 55%. average monthly revenue in the Riverside market area is $2,968. average daily rate in the Riverside market area is $198. the top operator in the Riverside market area 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 StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
This profile covers Fontana, California, and uses the Inland Empire STR market as its performance region. Short-term rental metrics for Fontana are shared with neighboring Inland Empire cities, so every performance figure below describes the Inland Empire STR market rather than Fontana alone. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts and top operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Fontana, so this profile omits them.
As of September 2026, the Inland Empire STR market posted an average daily rate of $198 and occupancy of 55.4%. Average monthly revenue per listing was $2,968. Compared with September 2025, occupancy is up 6.7%, ADR is up 1.2% and revenue is up 5.9%, so most of the gain came from more booked nights rather than higher rates. Summing the twelve seasonal months gives annualized revenue of $33,313 per listing.
The calendar-year history shows the cycle. Average monthly revenue peaked at $3,395 in 2021 with 65.6% occupancy, eased to $3,343 in 2022, and held between $3,145 and $3,197 from 2023 through 2025. Through nine months of 2026 the average is $3,282, with occupancy of 58.0% and an ADR of $205, the strongest result since 2022.
Fontana itself has 218,453 residents and sits in San Bernardino County, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. It is mainly a residential and logistics city rather than a leisure destination, and visitation is largely business and logistics travel plus regional day trips. The Auto Club Speedway held its last NASCAR Cup race in February 2023 and has since been demolished and partly redeveloped into a logistics complex. Remaining draws include Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park, the Lewis Library and Technology Center, and the Stage Red theater, which reopened in 2024.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 51% |
| Feb | 57% |
| Mar | 58% |
| Apr | 56% |
| May | 56% |
| Jun | 62% |
| Jul | 63% |
| Aug | 57% |
| Sep | 55% |
| Oct | 57% |
| Nov | 54% |
| Dec | 57% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Fontana are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Riverside market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Riverside market as a whole, which includes Fontana, so these counts are not Fontana-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Fontana are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 69.4% |
| vrbo | 2.7% |
| both | 28% |
Home Value Trends (Fontana)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Fontana are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Fontana — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are not known to be prohibited in Fontana, California, and listings do operate on the major platforms. No dedicated short-term rental zoning overlay or STR-specific ordinance was located for the City of Fontana. Rentals would fall under general residential zoning plus the city’s business license and home occupation framework.
The San Bernardino County short-term rental permit program applies only to unincorporated mountain and desert areas. It does not cover the incorporated City of Fontana. Be careful with online guides that quote a 12.5% occupancy tax, application fees and a seven-night minimum for a Fontana. Those describe the Village of Fontana in Wisconsin and do not apply to Fontana, California.
Operators should expect to need a City of Fontana business license or home occupation clearance. For stays of 30 days or less, registration and remittance under the city’s transient occupancy tax is also likely, under Municipal Code Chapter 10. The exact tax rate, and any STR-specific permit, cap or owner-occupancy rule, could not be verified from primary city sources. The city’s tax rate and permit costs are not published in the research for this profile.
Enforcement severity is rated minimal. Before buying or listing, confirm current requirements directly with the City of Fontana Planning Department, the Business License Division and Code Compliance, and check any homeowners association rules for the specific property.
Market Comparison
The Inland Empire STR market posted 55.4% occupancy and a $198 ADR in September 2026.
Occupancy is up 6.7% year over year, while ADR is up only 1.2%. That is a market recovering volume faster than it gains pricing power. Entire-place listings at $268, professionally managed listings at $373 and luxury listings at $449 all sit well above the $198 average. The gap between the $198 average and those tiers shows that room-level and smaller units pull the overall rate down.
Fontana is different from many national STR markets because demand is tied to logistics and regional travel instead of leisure tourism, and the loss of NASCAR racing at the Auto Club Speedway removed a major event draw. Investors should compare Fontana against its Inland Empire neighbors on purchase price and regulation, since the region shares one performance series. Top operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Fontana, so this profile omits them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fontana, California
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