I own a business entity that rents out a Santa Ana commercial property to a separate business entity owed/controlled by me, which operates from the premises it, rents. Are the rents my property owing entity receives from my business operating entity considered to be a business separate business? Do I have to have two separate business licenses?

Yes, a separate business license must be obtained when two separate legal entities are engaged in ongoing business activity. Each entity is a separate legal “person” under the Business License Tax Code and even where the underlying identify of the ownership of both businesses is the same, a requirement for each “person” doing business in the city to obtain a city business license remains.