REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
How do I register?
Click on the Access Portal button on this Rental Registry Program webpage. Alternatively, click here to access the Rental Registry Program online portal.
Is there a Registration Fee?
Yes. City Council adopted a $40.00 per unit Registration Fee for Program Year 3 (FY 2026-2027) and can be found in the City's FY 2026-2027 Municipal Fee Schedule. Registration Fees are paid once per year, providing for year-round 24/7 access to the Rental Registry Program online portal for reporting events at your property throughout the year. Fee exemptions are available for owner-occupied units and 100% affordable properties. City Council waived Registration Fees for Program Year 1, but not for Program Year 2 or Program Year 3.
Is there an Administrative Penalty Fee if I do not register my units?
Property owners who fail to register their properties and units by the close of the annual open registration period are sent an administrative citation containing an Administrative Penalty Fee. If cited, property owners must still fully register all units, pay any applicable registration fees, pay the administrative citation, and pay any delinquency fees in order to come into compliance.
Do I need to report any other rental-related events that happen throughout the year?
Some properties may have no required reportable events in a given year. However, if any of the following events occur at a rental unit, it is either required or requested to report them within 10 calendar days of occurrence throughout the year:
- Changes in rental property ownership;
- Rent increases;
- Notices to quit;
- Unlawful detainer filings;
- Evictions;
- Rent decreases;
- *NEW* Occupancy updates and changes (such as a unit turnover to a new renter); and
- *NEW* Lease updates and changes (such as if an incentive or discount is no longer applied to the unit rent or if the lease changes from 1-year to month to month).
Are there any Rental Registry Program registration exemptions?
All residential properties with three or more units under one ownership must complete annual registration with the City, regardless of unit occupancy type. This includes units that are vacant, under renovation, rented, or owner occupied. If you do not have three or more units on your property but you received an official program registration letter via USPS mail in error, please notify staff at rentalregistry@paloalto.gov.
Do long-term care and similar healthcare facilities need to register their units?
Such facilities only need to register units that 1) include private living, cooking, sleeping and bathing facilities for each household or resident and 2) do not include access to healthcare or related services in their base rental rates or required community entry fees. If you received an official program registration letter for your property via USPS mail, but believe that your property may not be required to register based on these criteria, please contact staff at rentalregistry@paloalto.gov to complete the required affidavit and avoid potential penalty fees.
REGISTRATION LETTERS
I did not receive a registration letter but think I may be required to register; what do I do?
Please email staff at rentalregistry@paloalto.gov with your property address and APN so that staff can confirm whether a registration letter was sent to the mailing address on file for your property.
UNIT COUNTS AND DEFINITIONS
How do you define a unit for the purposes of the Rental Registry Program?
A unit is a private living space with its own cooking, sleeping and bathing facilities. A unit may be rented to one or more individuals.
Do owner-occupied units count towards the total number of units on a property? Do these units need to be registered in the online portal annually?
Yes, owner-occupied units count towards the total number of units on the property since these units may or may not continue to be owner occupied in the future. They are considered part of the City’s overall rental housing stock. Owner occupied units are exempt from registration fees, but still need to be registered annually via the Rental Registry Program online portal. Use the online portal to apply for owner-occupied unit registration fee exemptions.
Do vacant units count towards the total number of units on a property?
Yes, vacant units (regardless of if they are available for rent or not) count towards the total number of units on the property; these units may or may not continue to be vacant in the future and are therefore considered part of the City’s overall rental housing stock. Vacant units still need to be registered annually via the Rental Registry Program online portal.
Do rented rooms within a rental unit need to be individually registered?
No, rented rooms do not need to be individually registered. However, the unit itself that contains the rented rooms may need to be registered if the unit is located on a rental property with three or more units.
Do rented rooms that share cooking, sleeping, and/or bathing facilities with a landlord need to be individually registered?
No, rented rooms with facilities shared with a landlord do not need to be registered. However, the unit itself that contains the rented rooms may need to be registered if the unit it is located on a rental property with three or more units.
Is an ADU considered a unit for the purposes of the Rental Registry Program?
Yes, an ADU is considered a unit for the purposes of the Rental Registry Program. Many ADUs are on a single family residential property, so that property would commonly have two units total. However, some ADUs do represent a third unit on a property, so a property with this configuration would be required to register.
Is a JADU considered a unit for the purposes of the Rental Registry Program?
If a JADU shares bathing facilities with the primary unit, it does not need to register as a separate unit. If the JADU has its own bathing facilities, then it is considered a unit for the purposes of the Rental Registry Program. Some JADUs represent a third unit on a property, so a property with this configuration would be required to register. Palo Alto requires all JADUs to have their own cooking facilities.
Do ADUs and JADUs count towards the total number of units on a property?
ADUs and JADUs that do not share bathing facilities with the primary unit count towards the total number of units on a property.
Do I need to register my units if I own three or more rental units across various one- or two-unit properties?
Participation in the Rental Registry Program satisfies the separate Landlord Registry requirement under Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Chapter 9.72. However, one- or two-unit rental properties that are not registered in the Rental Registry Program may still need to complete the Landlord Registry Form via the City’s Landlord Resources webpage in order to comply with the Mandatory Response Program under PAMC Chapter 9.72. For example, owners of one- or two-unit properties may need to use the Landlord Registry form if one of the following are applicable:
(a) Any residential rental property containing two or more dwelling units, except two-unit residential rental property in which one of the units is owner-occupied; or
(b) Any residential rental property that is owned by a person or legal entity that owns two or more residential rental properties within the city.
REGISTRATION PROCESS
I received an automatic email after I submitted my rental registry application online stating that the application was incomplete and/or the number of units I entered does not match the county assessor’s records. What does this mean, and do I need to do anything about it?
If you registered a different number of units than what the county assessor’s current records show for a property, your registration application will appear in unit discrepancy status and is under review by staff. In these cases, our staff asks for your patience while we conduct the necessary research to confirm the correct unit count for the property.
If the number of units registered matches staff review and research, staff will manually mark your registration as complete and you will receive another automatic email to confirm. If the staff is unable to confirm the unit count through research, staff will contact you for further information or to offer you an affidavit to sign stating the correct number of units on the property. Staff will resolve any unit discrepancy cases as quickly as possible.
What if I don’t have the exact information that the Rental Registry Program is asking for as part of the registration process?
Please provide estimates or best guesses for the required fields for which you do not have detailed data. You may also indicate “N/A” or “Unknown” for certain fields. Please do your best to locate detailed data for these fields in future registration years.
What if I need help registering or completing event-based reporting?
The Rental Registry Program Registration Technical HelpDesk is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., via phone at 650-459-0138 or via chat at https://paloalto.3diengage.com/support/. You may also email the HelpDesk at pa-rentalregistrytechsupport@engagehelpdesk.com.
Are there paper versions of the annual registration forms available?
Yes, paper forms are available at the Development Center located at 285 Hamilton Avenue, across the street from City Hall. However, Rental Registry Program participants are encouraged to complete registration or registration renewal using the online portal, if possible. Public computers are also available at City libraries.
For other questions...
Email staff at rentalregistry@paloalto.gov.