Santa Barbara ordinance committee advances short‑term rental ordinance for further review after hours of debate and nearly 40 public comments

City of Santa Barbara staff on April 14 presented a draft short‑term rental (STR) ordinance that would create a licensing program, set where whole‑home STRs and home shares would be allowed, and add enforcement tools aimed at reducing neighborhood nuisance and preserving housing stock. After lengthy technical questioning and almost 40 members of the public speaking for and against the proposal, the ordinance committee voted unanimously to continue the item for further consideration.

The staff presentation, led by principal planner Rosie Dyster, framed the ordinance as an implementation step for the city’s adopted housing element and a way to provide “a straightforward and reliable permit process” and “a legal framework by which [the city attorney’s office] can do enforcement moving forward,” Dyster said. The draft includes parallel amendments to inland zoning (Title 30) and coastal zoning (Title 28), a coastal license area map, and a home‑share option intended to preserve some lower‑cost overnight accommodations in the coastal zone.

The ordinance would define short‑term rentals as an entire dwelling rented for 30 consecutive days or less and home shares as a portion of a primary residence rented part time. Staff proposed prohibiting STRs in single‑family and two‑family zones while permitting STRs in commercial, mixed‑use and some residential/multi‑family zones. Home shares would be allowed in most residential zones that permit residential uses. The draft also lists ineligible unit…