Goleta Considers New Vacation Rental Rules
The city of Goleta wants to tighten rules for short-term vacation rental properties and will discuss the possible ordinance at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.
The rules would effect the entire city, but it all stems from one property in Goleta where residents complain a short-term rental is wreaking havoc in their neighborhood.
“We want our neighborhood back,” said Kathy Wolfe.
Wolfe has lived on Serenidad Place since 1969 but said the last three years have been chaotic.
She and other neighbors blame the house at 830 Serenidad Place, a short-term rental, where groups of people show up for a weekend.
“This has just sort of been like an invasion in the neighborhood of people that just don’t have any respect for the neighborhood,” said Wolfe.
Since 2011, neighbors have called the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office more than 50 times.
NewsChannel 3 couldn’t reach homeowner Bob Bullemer but residents in the area said current tenants have been there since October.
Vyto Adomaitis, the Neighborhood Services & Public Safety director, said the city has heard residents and now proposes an ordinance that would make property owners get a license before renting their homes for less than 30 days.
“Part of the process is intended to ensure that people who rent out their homes for vacation rental purposes do so without disrupting the neighborhood that surrounds them,” he said.
Applicants would have to provide a plan for responding to neighborhood complaints, show proof of their business license and Transient Occupancy Tax registration, post a bond with the city for $1,500, pay a fee for administration costs and show proof that all properties within 200 feet have been notified.
“I think it’s an issue that all cities are going to have to ultimately deal with. In effect what you have are beautiful residential neighborhoods that have a hotel business being run that have no supervision, no kind of laws, health codes, nothing,” said Connie Cornwell.
Cornwell lives next door to 830 Serenidad Place and is glad Goleta is considering new rules, but worries that vacation rental owners won’t follow them.
The City Council could decide Tuesday night whether or not to implement the ordinance.
Ventura has had vacation-rental laws on the books since 2007. It charges property owners a one-time registration fee of $600 and business license fee of $50 to $60. The city does allow property owners to either pay a $1,500 bond or provide a name and phone number that is posted on the city website so complaints can go directly to the owner or property manager.
Adomaitis said Goleta fees would most likely not be as high as Ventura.
