By an edhat reader
Does anyone know if the City [of Santa Barbara] is still cracking down on STRs (AirBnB, etc.)? As I understand they are powerless without an actual transaction between the STR host and a city employee.
Short-Term Rental Crackdown?
Anonymous
July 10, 2019, 12:16 pm
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I think the process is complaint -driven. If your neighbors don’t complain, you are okay.
The city is good at passing ordinances but not very good at enforcing them.
They are only allowed in certain neighborhoods. I think West Beach is one of them.
If you are unhappy about something in your neighborhood you need to complain to the police AND your city council representative and cc the Mayor. Good luck!
cc the Mayor. That’s funny.
You may as well cc the air….if you aren’t here to build apartments she doesn’t give a rats ass.
Friends of ours came out from the east and stayed at an Airbnb in the upper Riviera. The STRs are definitely out there even in the illegal portions of the city. It was a very quiet location so even chatting in the driveway saying good bye might have been disruptive to the neighbors.
In my neighborhood, City employees actually violated ordinances and regulations to allow a business to relocate. The City Attorney Ariel Pierre Calonne has chosen to protect those employees by not following the Zoning Ordinance himself and doing his duties. But the City will threaten a local business with a $100 a day fine if a sign ordinance is violated.
Some people will complain, no matter what. Everyone now is on edge, quick to take offense at the least little thing. It’s called overcrowding. We have overpopulation to thank for that. Poor Santa Barbara. It’s sure not mellow anymore.
In general, they are not cracking down.
OP – there is a lot of speculation in these answers, but no facts. Does anyone know of any factual information provided by the city?
(In my own speculation, I doubt anyone has been busted other than those who have admitted to it – as the law is clear, the city must actually have transaction information, and the only way to get it is by staying in an STR/AirBnB themselves, which is very easy for hosts to avoid.)
As for the poster who claims the city “just hired an investigator…” that was claimed a year+ ago by the city. When you look at other cities you see the same trend, lots of threats little action.
As well, when you look at other cities around the world ,you also see this “lack of housing” claim without any factual information to substantiate, and AirBnB as the reason. When you dig deeper into SB lack of housing, you see that there are plenty of places to LTR/Rent, just not cheap places, and that this lack of housing issue has been going on way before AirBnB time. Overall, the lack of “affordable” housing is the problem, and that’s more likely caused by paychecks than rent prices. (average pay adjusted to inflation hasn’t risen in decades, while house prices have risen substantially)
If anyone has city logged data, or city meeting information about STR crack downs, I’d love to see it.
I don’t know what they’re doing (“they” = city employees) but one thing they are NOT doing is being transparent and sharing with the public what they are doing. The city newsletter is a joke, aimed apparently at only tourists, saying only, “look at us, aren’t we pretty and great!” The fault for this lies with the city council who does not give instructions; and the staff that takes no initiative but waits for the council to give “directions”. Pity. They’re creating a serious disaffect in we, the people, those who they expect, sometimes demand that we the people pay whatever they ask, including the SEIU union dues. General fund slipping? Raise the sales tax, they cry!
Have written the mayor and my council member a number of times and have found them to be very responsive on a number of issues.
I am glad to hear they are cracking down on STRs. We need affordable housing for LOCALS, you know, the people who live and work here. Sick of all the transient rentals, they have caused a major housing crisis. All because of greed, too, landlords can get a heck of a lot more by renting out by the night or the week to tourists. It’s a shame. Get rid of them!
Big difference between someone who is willing to share the bathroom and kitchen of their actual home to help pay the morgage or because they want to meet people from all over and those who own multiple units for STR. The former don’t cause anymore problems than someone with visiting relatives.
Daily I hear how desperately many of you are against “Government Crackdowns”. Until, of course, it’s to your direct benefit. Cuffum’ Dano!