California property tax

Short-Term Rentals and Form BOE-571-STR

Furniture, appliances, equipment, and other personal property used in a California short-term rental may be treated as taxable business personal property. California’s prescribed form BOE-571-STR is designed for reporting this property when required by the county assessor.

Who determines the filing requirement?

Business-property statements are administered locally. Follow any request, instructions, and deadline issued by the county assessor where the property is located. Do not assume that an earlier article’s deadline applies to a later year or to every county.

Information to keep

Maintain an itemized list of furnishings, appliances, electronics, equipment, and supplies used in the rental. Records should generally include the description, original cost, year acquired, and whether an item was disposed of or no longer used in the rental.

How this differs from other taxes

Business personal property reporting is separate from federal and California income-tax reporting and from local transient occupancy tax obligations. A payment or filing in one system does not necessarily satisfy another.

Practical step: If you receive a statement or notice, confirm the parcel or account information and respond to the county assessor named on it. The assessor applies local procedures and determines the assessed value.

This article provides general information and is not legal or tax advice for a particular property.

Official sources: California BOE business property forms and the BOE-571-STR sample form.