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Casago SoCal, a DBA of Acme CA Vacations, Inc. · Michael Flannery · CA DRE #02439360.
Santa Barbara · Ventura · Oxnard · Regulation watch
This one destination name covers nine separate authorities, and two of them do not currently give an owner a path. Every row below names its official source and the date it was checked.
Existing owner? Access your Owner Portal
Match the parcel before anything else. Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura and Oxnard are incorporated cities, and each runs its own program. Montecito and Summerland are unincorporated Santa Barbara County, so the County governs them and the City of Santa Barbara does not. Land outside Ventura and Oxnard city limits is unincorporated Ventura County. Much of this market also sits inside the California coastal zone, which adds Coastal Act considerations on top of the local rule. A neighbourhood name, a mailing address or a nearby beach settles none of this.
This is the part owners most want softened, so it is stated plainly. The City of Santa Barbara’s own enforcement page, checked 2026-09-20, says short-term rentals are not permitted in most areas of the city and defines a short-term residential rental as 30 days or less. The City runs an enforcement program against them. Draft ordinances that would create a permit path exist, and the City states they were scheduled for Council on October 6, 2026, after which they would go to the California Coastal Commission with review expected into summer 2027.
Until something is adopted, certified where the coastal zone applies, and confirmed against your address, a home inside city limits has no short-stay path to plan around. A 30-day-plus stay is a different question and a different conversation. If your property is in Montecito, Summerland or another unincorporated pocket, this row does not apply to you — the County does, and the County has its own unresolved gap.
Jurisdictions
These are summaries of what each official source says on the date shown. They are not legal advice and not a determination about your property.
| Property area / authority | What to check | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the incorporated City of Santa BarbaraCity of Santa Barbara | The City’s enforcement page states that short-term rentals are not permitted in most areas of Santa Barbara, and defines a short-term residential rental as a rental of all, or a portion of, the residential property for periods of 30 days or less. The City runs a Short-Term Rental Enforcement Program that it says launched on August 1, 2023. Proposed final draft ordinances have been released for Title 30 (inland) and Title 28 (coastal); the City states the Council hearing moved from September 15 to October 6, 2026, and that after adoption the ordinances go to the California Coastal Commission, with review expected into summer 2027. Nothing on either page is an approved permit path for an address today. | No owner path today City of Santa Barbara — Short-Term Rental Enforcement Program Checked 2026-09-20 City of Santa Barbara — Short-Term Rental Ordinance Checked 2026-09-20 |
| Unincorporated Santa Barbara County, including Montecito and SummerlandSanta Barbara County Planning and Development | A Montecito or Summerland parcel is County territory, not City of Santa Barbara, so the City’s rules and the City’s draft ordinances do not govern it. The County’s Short-Term Rental Ordinance page was opened again on 2026-09-20 and exposes nothing beyond a link to its Homestays FAQ; that FAQ page rendered no content either. Neither page settles zoning, eligibility or coastal-zone treatment for a parcel. Ask County Planning and Development for written confirmation before any short-stay plan. | Further verification needed Santa Barbara County Planning and Development — Short-Term Rental Ordinance Checked 2026-09-20 Santa Barbara County Planning and Development — Homestays Frequently Asked Questions Checked 2026-09-20 |
| Inside the incorporated City of CarpinteriaCity of Carpinteria | For stays of 30 days or fewer in a residential zone the City requires a license for both kinds of short-term rental: a vacation rental, where the owner is off site, and a home stay, where the owner is on site. The City states that new vacation-rental licenses will be issued only within its Vacation Rental Overlay District, and that the number available per year is limited by area. A commercial-property listing requires a permit instead. Licenses must be renewed before June 30 each year with no grace period, and the City mails pre-filled applications by May 1. Transient occupancy tax is remitted quarterly, due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. | City of Carpinteria — Short-Term Rental Information Checked 2026-09-20 |
| Inside the incorporated City of VenturaCity of Ventura | The City’s July 7, 2026 update states that existing permit holders had to renew by August 31, 2026 or their permits would be cancelled, and that from July 13, 2026 the City accepts new applications within designated geographic zones on a first-come, first-served basis. It states the permit fee rose to $1,526 from $204 effective July 1, 2026, sets a maximum of two permits per owner with one maximum in the Pierpont area, requires that free, unobstructed onsite parking be continuously available to guests, allows homestays renting individual rooms in a primary residence, and states that accessory dwelling units cannot be rented as short-term rentals under state law. It also states civil penalties for unpermitted rentals of up to $1,500, $3,000 and $5,000 for first, second and third violations within 12 months. | City of Ventura — Ventura Updates Short-Term Rental Ordinance Checked 2026-09-20 |
| Inside the incorporated City of OxnardCity of Oxnard | The City states its short-term rental regulations became effective citywide on December 17, 2020 and require a permit to operate. Municipal Code Section 17-53, which sits in the City’s Coastal Zoning chapter, caps vacation-rental permits at 5% of dwelling units per general plan neighborhood and at 10% in the Residential Beach Front (R-BF) zone, with a waiting list when no permits are available. It requires 100 feet of separation from another permitted vacation rental inside R-BF and 200 feet outside it, and limits a vacation rental to a maximum 100-day annual cap per calendar year, with arrival and departure days rounded up. Confirm the approved-STR map, neighborhood headroom and classification for the exact parcel with the City. | City of Oxnard — Short Term Rentals Checked 2026-09-20 City of Oxnard — Municipal Code Section 17-53, Short-Term Rental Units Checked 2026-09-20 |
| Unincorporated Ventura County onlyCounty of Ventura | For a County residential dwelling inside the Temporary Rental Unit overlay zones, renting for under 30 days requires an active TRU permit, an active County business license, and collection and remittance of transient occupancy tax. The County publishes an interactive overlay map and separate Coastal and Non-Coastal ordinances, and requires a property manager to respond to complaints within 30 minutes, or 15 minutes during quiet hours. This program does not reach homes inside the City of Ventura or the City of Oxnard. | County of Ventura — Temporary Rental Units Checked 2026-09-20 |
| Any parcel inside the California coastal zoneCalifornia Coastal Commission | Much of this market sits in the coastal zone, and that changes who has the last word. In a December 6, 2016 letter to coastal planning and community development directors the Commission wrote that vacation rental regulation in the coastal zone “must occur within the context of your local coastal program (LCP) and/or be authorized pursuant to a coastal development permit (CDP)”, that regulating short-term rentals “constitutes development to which the Coastal Act and LCPs must apply”, and that the Commission does “not believe that regulation outside of that LCP/CDP context (e.g., outright vacation rental bans through other local processes) is legally enforceable in the coastal zone”. That is why the City of Santa Barbara has a separate Title 28 coastal draft, why Oxnard’s Section 17-53 sits in its Coastal Zoning chapter, and why Ventura County publishes a separate coastal ordinance. It is not a licence to rent: the Commission certifies local programs, it does not issue an owner a permit. | California Coastal Commission — Short-Term/Vacation Rentals in the California Coastal Zone, December 6, 2016 Checked 2026-09-20 California Coastal Commission — Staff report, LCP-4-SBV-25-0043-1 Short-Term Vacation Rentals Checked 2026-09-20 |
| California taxes and transient occupancy taxState of California, then each local authority | There is no single statewide lodging tax to register for. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration describes itself as administering sales and use tax in addition to several special taxes and fees, and does not set transient occupancy tax. TOT is imposed and collected by the city or county with jurisdiction: Carpinteria publishes quarterly TOT reporting periods, and Ventura County requires TOT collection and remittance as a condition of its TRU program. Register with whichever authority actually covers the parcel. | State of California — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration Checked 2026-09-20 City of Carpinteria — Short-Term Rental Information Checked 2026-09-20 County of Ventura — Temporary Rental Units Checked 2026-09-20 |
| HOA, condominium, deed, lease and insurance documentsPrivate governing documents | No city, county or state source decides whether a private community permits the intended rental use, guest parking, pool or beach-gate access. On this coast that includes beach-adjacent condominium rules, harbor and keys community covenants, and foothill community documents. These can be stricter than any public rule and are enforced separately. Read the controlling documents and get any determination in writing before the home is marketed. | Further verification needed |
Steps in order
Get an authority-confirmed answer on whether the parcel is inside Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura or Oxnard, or in unincorporated Santa Barbara or Ventura County — and whether it is inside the coastal zone. Keep the answer in the property file.
Inside the City of Santa Barbara the answer stops here for now. In Carpinteria, ask whether the parcel is inside the Vacation Rental Overlay District and whether a licence is available this year. In Ventura, ask about zone capacity and the application queue. In Oxnard, ask about neighbourhood headroom against the 5% cap, the 10% R-BF cap, the separation result for your parcel and the waiting list. In unincorporated Ventura County, check the Temporary Rental Unit overlay map.
There is no statewide lodging tax. Transient occupancy tax is imposed by the city or county covering the parcel: Carpinteria reports quarterly, and Ventura County requires TOT collection and remittance as a TRU condition. State sales and use tax is a separate question for CDTFA.
HOA rules, CC&Rs, condominium rules, deed restrictions, leases and insurance conditions decide guest parking, amenity and beach-gate access, and sometimes whether the use is permitted at all. Get any determination in writing before marketing.
In the City of Ventura that includes free, unobstructed onsite parking continuously available to guests. In unincorporated Ventura County it includes a manager who responds to complaints within 30 minutes, or 15 minutes during quiet hours. Check what your own authority requires to be posted, installed or contactable.
Keep researching
Not on the basis of anything the City publishes today. The City's enforcement page, checked 2026-09-20, states that short-term rentals are not permitted in most areas of Santa Barbara and defines a short-term residential rental as a rental of all or part of a residential property for 30 days or less. The City runs an enforcement program it says launched on August 1, 2023. Draft ordinances that would create a permit path were scheduled for Council on October 6, 2026 and would then go to the California Coastal Commission.
No. Montecito is unincorporated Santa Barbara County, so County Planning and Development is the authority. This matters because the City's prohibition does not reach a Montecito parcel, but the County's own pages did not state what does. On 2026-09-20 the County's short-term rental ordinance page exposed only a link to its Homestays FAQ, and that FAQ page rendered no content. Ask the County in writing.
It adds a layer. In a December 6, 2016 letter to coastal planning and community development directors, the California Coastal Commission wrote that vacation rental regulation in the coastal zone must occur within a local coastal program or be authorised by a coastal development permit, that such regulation constitutes development to which the Coastal Act and LCPs must apply, and that it does not believe regulation outside that context, including outright bans through other local processes, is legally enforceable in the coastal zone. That is guidance about how local rules get certified. It does not give any owner a permit.
Oxnard Municipal Code Section 17-53, read on 2026-09-20, caps vacation-rental permits at 5% of dwelling units per general plan neighbourhood and at 10% in the Residential Beach Front zone, maintains a waiting list when none are available, requires 100 feet of separation inside R-BF and 200 feet outside it, and limits a vacation rental to a maximum 100-day annual cap per calendar year. Whether any headroom exists in your neighbourhood today is a question for the City.
No. Private governing documents are separate controls and can be stricter than any public rule. Read the CC&Rs, condominium rules, lease, deed restrictions and insurance conditions, and get any determination in writing before the home is marketed.
Next step
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