Santa Barbara Short Term Rental Alliance

Short-term rentals (STRs) are a valuable part of Santa Barbara’s economy and visitor experience — but because the City never established a clear permitting path for them, enforcement has become the de-facto policy tool.

STR rules in Santa Barbara are in transition: Planning staff recently presented a draft ordinance that would restrict whole-home STRs in most residential areas and create new permit paths. Meanwhile, coastal zones would allow licensed STRs with permits, and home shares (where the resident is present) would be broadly permitted.

❋ What’s Happening

The City should focus on actual facts, not just perceptions. Without data-driven context, it’s easy to exaggerate the scale of the issue.

  • How Many STRs Exist?

  • The percentage of housing used for STRs

  • How Many Complaints Lead to Violations?

❋ Unanswered Myths

Responsible STR operators aren’t asking for a free pass — we’re asking for fair, enforceable rules that protect neighborhoods while allowing STRs to function as they do in practice.

❋ What Good Policy Should Do?

  • They help local homeowners afford their properties

  • They support local management companies, hospitality workers, small businesses

  • They give families and visitors a more affordable way to experience Santa Barbara, especially with increasing hotel prices

❋ Why STRs Are Good for Santa Barbara

Priorities to Establish Reasonable STR Regulations in Santa Barbara


🏡 1. Clarify and Simplify Permitting

 STRs should be allowed in all residential zones for operators who can demonstrate responsible local management, including:
* A local contact person available 24/7 for neighbors and enforcement
* Clear operational standards (noise, parking, occupancy limits)

🏡 2. Distinguish STR Types

 The ordinance should clearly allow:
 * Whole-home STRs in all residential zones when responsibly operated, and
* Home shares where the primary resident stays on site
These models are very different from absentee-owned party houses — and the rules should reflect that.

🏡 3. Create a Coastal License Area With Fair Standards

Santa Barbara’s coastal zones are unique: they’re meant to support visitor-serving accommodations under state coastal policy. A local license area with clear, affordable requirements will:
 * Preserve housing for residents using STR to age in place and keep their family home
 * Support responsible tourism  and access to the coast
 * Avoid overreliance on hotels, which are increasingly expensive for families
 * Avoid the lengthy, expensive Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process for listings in the coastal zones

🏡 4. Data Transparency

Policy decisions must be grounded in measurable facts, such as:          * Number of existing STRs vs total housing
* Complaint rates and outcomes
* Economic contribution of STRs (jobs, taxes, local spending)

Join SBSTRA!

  • Keeping Santa Barbara Open and Accessible.

  • "This has been such a worthwhile investment in myself."

    Former Customer