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 in the Riverside market area is 63%. average monthly revenue in the Riverside market area is $3,834. average daily rate in the Riverside market area is $227. 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
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 |
|---|---|
| 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
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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