Santa Barbara, California Short-Term Rental Market
Santa Barbara STRs averaged $419/night at 61.1% occupancy in April 2026 across approximately 3,188 active listings.
Quick Answer: Santa Barbara, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Santa Barbara market area is 67%. average monthly revenue in the Santa Barbara market area is $8,396. average daily rate in the Santa Barbara market area is $487. the top operator in the Santa Barbara market area is Paradise Retreats with 109 listings. market score is 88/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Santa Barbara market, which covers 2 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Santa Barbara.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Santa Barbara sits on the Southern California coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco, drawing roughly 6.5 million visitors per year who generated $2.24 billion in travel spending in 2023. The short-term rental market totals approximately 3,188 active listings. Entire-place units account for 2,867, private rooms for 320, and shared rooms for 1. One-bedroom units are the largest bedroom segment at 1,371 listings, followed by two-bedrooms (808), three-bedrooms (600), four-bedrooms (284), and five-bedrooms (118).
In April 2026, the market recorded 61.1% occupancy, an average daily rate of $419.22, and RevPAR of $256.24. Monthly revenue per listing averaged $6,588. Year-over-year, occupancy rose 1.0 percentage point and ADR increased 0.8% while total revenue held nearly flat (-0.01%), indicating a stable market with modest rate appreciation offset by slight per-listing demand variability.
The channel mix in Santa Barbara skews toward cross-listing: 1,580 properties list on both Airbnb and VRBO, 1,407 appear on Airbnb only, and 201 list on VRBO only. The market’s composite score is 87.8 out of 100, the highest among the five markets in this batch. Revenue growth scores 93.4, seasonality 88.8, rental demand 76.6, and regulation 70.2. Investability scores 51.9, reflecting the high property entry cost relative to achievable STR revenue.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 49% |
| Feb | 59% |
| Mar | 61% |
| Apr | 61% |
| May | 59% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 71% |
| Aug | 67% |
| Sep | 60% |
| Oct | 58% |
| Nov | 56% |
| Dec | 54% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Santa Barbara are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Santa Barbara market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Santa Barbara market as a whole, which includes Santa Barbara, so these counts are not Santa Barbara-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise Retreats | 109 | 3,697 | ★ 4.84 |
| 2 | Ziprent | 91 | 4,717 | ★ 4.93 |
| 3 | Vacation Rentals of Santa Barbara | 81 | 1,850 | ★ 4.86 |
| 4 | WorldMark | 50 | 703 | ★ 4.92 |
| 5 | Casago | 48 | 2,335 | ★ 4.84 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Santa Barbara?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Santa Barbara are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 44.1% |
| vrbo | 6.3% |
| both | 49.6% |
Home Value Trends (Santa Barbara)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Santa Barbara are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Santa Barbara — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Santa Barbara is one of the most restrictive STR jurisdictions in California. Within the City of Santa Barbara, whole-unit short-term rentals are currently prohibited in most residential zones under existing zoning code, including inland R-S and R-2 zones and coastal A, E, R-1, and R-2 zones. The city has treated STRs as hotels since at least 2021.
A new STR licensing ordinance was nearing final City Council adoption as of mid-2026, following Planning Commission review on March 5, 2026, and Ordinance Committee consideration on April 14, 2026. The draft ordinance would permit whole-unit STRs only in commercial and multi-residential zones and in a defined coastal licensed zone. Whole-unit STRs in single-family and duplex residential zones city-wide would remain prohibited. Homeshares (hosted rentals where the owner is physically present on-site between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.) would be permitted in most residential zones under a separate license track. ADUs, affordable housing units, and non-habitable structures are excluded from STR use.
The city charges a 12% TOT on gross rental receipts. The City Attorney’s STR Enforcement Program, launched August 2023, has investigated more than 150 properties, filed 25 Superior Court cases, and recovered approximately $596,000 in back taxes, fines, and penalties. Enforcement is rated strict.
In unincorporated Santa Barbara County (including Montecito and parts of Goleta), STRs are permitted in most commercial zones and homestays are permitted in residential zones under separate county rules. Santa Barbara County voters passed Measure H in November 2024 (66.5% approval), raising the county unincorporated TOT from 12% to 14%, effective 2025. Operators must verify whether a specific property falls within city or county jurisdiction before assuming any permitting path applies.
Market Comparison
Santa Barbara’s April 2026 occupancy of 61.1% is approximately 6 percentage points above the US median STR occupancy of roughly 55%, modest outperformance for a premium coastal market. The ADR of $419.22 is approximately 91% above the US median ADR of around $220, placing Santa Barbara in the top tier of US STR markets by rate. RevPAR of $256.24 reflects the combination of premium pricing and adequate seasonal occupancy.
The market’s composite score of 87.8 out of 100 makes it the highest-scoring market in this batch. Revenue growth at 93.4 and seasonality at 88.8 are particularly strong. Investability at 51.9 reflects the high entry cost relative to yield, which is the principal trade-off in a market with this ADR profile.
Among property managers, Paradise Retreats leads with 109 listings and a 4.84 average rating across 3,697 reviews. Ziprent holds 91 listings with the highest average rating among local operators at 4.93 across 4,717 reviews. Vacation Rentals of Santa Barbara manages 81 listings at a 4.86 rating. WorldMark operates 50 listings at 4.92. Casago manages 48 listings at 4.84 with 2,335 reviews. The top five operators collectively manage 379 listings, approximately 11.9% of the 3,188-listing market, a higher concentration than the Sacramento or Redding markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Santa Barbara, California
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