Land use regulations regulating Short-Term Rentals (STR) and Homestays in Santa Barbara County officially became effective on October 1st, 2018.
STRs and Homestays now require the proper zoning permit. You cannot rent (or even advertise) a property for fewer than 30 days without a permit.
Penalties for violations are up to $100/day.
If you are operating a STR in an allowed commercial or special purpose zone you must apply for a Land Use Permit.
If you are operating a Homestay you must apply for a Homestay Permit.
In both cases, you must apply for a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate. This is allows for the payment of TOT to the Santa Barbara County Tax Collector’s office.
Since the most applicable use case appears to be a Homestay, I have provided a bit more detail on what is required:
- Land Use Permit
- Homestay Supplemental Application
- Agreement for Payment Form
- Indemnification
- TOT Certificate
- As part of your submission you will also need:
- Floor plan (denoting several items such as smoke and carbon detectors)
- Site plan (denoting location of off-street parking for guests)
- Proof of owner or long-term tenant residency on the property (the definition of a “Homestay”)
Applicable contact info:
Santa Barbara zoning: 805.568.2090
Santa Maria (North County) zoning: 805.934.6251
TOT: https://www.countyofsb.org/ttcpapg/taxcoll/tot.aspx
….and on that cheery note, Happy Holidays everyone!
