This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.
Marriott is in the home-sharing business, and that means the hotel conglomerate makes dozens of houses and apartments around Santa Barbara available for its guests.
The conglomerate lists homes in 49 California cities as well as around the country and globally. It works with property managers rather than owning the homes outright, according to the Homes and Villas website.
In Santa Barbara, some homes listed are owned by LLCs. Others are in trusts.
However, Santa Barbara city’s prosecuting attorney, Denny Wei, said it doesn’t matter who owns it. It matters if the property is being rented short-term or long-term.
Short term rentals are only permitted in certain areas in the city and operators must pay a transient occupancy tax of about 12 percent.
Homes and Villas offers long-term stays in areas such as the Riviera and Goleta where short-term rentals are not permitted, and require a 30-night minimum. Since it is not considered a short term rental, no transient taxes are collected.
Marriott’s long-term stay prices range from about $107 a night for a 1-bedroom in Goleta to more than $1600 a night for a 4-bedroom waterfront property on the Mesa–which would cost more than $50,000 for a month’s stay.
Wei said that while the city’s zoning ordinances do not allow short-term rentals in some of the coastal areas, a court ruling, Krake vs. The City of Santa Barbara, basically prohibited the city from enforcing in the coastal zone,” Wei said, “unless there is a nuisance complaint” such as guests trespassing onto neighboring properties.
When the city did crack down on illegal short-term rentals in 2023, it saw a net gain of about half a million dollars in unpaid taxes and fines.
Marriott did not respond to a request for comment.
