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Studio Rental
updated: Sep 06, 2012, 3:42 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

I am wanting to rent a studio in my SFR for 4-6 wks to academics coming to UCSB. Does anyone know what the city's regulations are regarding longer (non- transient) rentals?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 316982	2012-09-06 03:53 PM
What's an SFR?
COMMENT 316986	2012-09-06 03:56 PM
Look up the City of Santa Barbara Rental Housing Mediation - they give free information and advice and will actually KNOW the answers...
COMMENT 316990P	2012-09-06 04:00 PM
I'm guessing Single Family Residence. This sounds like a homeowner in town who wants to rent a room (or maybe it really is a separate studio apartment, with its own entrance, bath, and kitchen). My 2¢ is that if you rent to the right (quiet, responsible) tenant, it's not the government's business. You will want to talk to your insurance agent (you may need to change your policy), and inform your neighbors, so they know that there will be an additional person coming and going, but other than that, you're free to rent part of your house to someone else if you want. [BTW, if there are rules and regs about this, they are likely to be different between City of SB, City of Goleta, County of SB, etc., so please specify what part of town you are referring to.]
COMMENT 316991	2012-09-06 04:00 PM
single family residence...
COMMENT 316997	2012-09-06 04:07 PM
994 it may be you that needs some help mastering comprehension of the language. The OP does not want to rent anything to live in they want to rent out part of their Single Family Residence to a student for a short amount of time. SFR is commonly used in relation to RE (real estate). Craigslist would not be an appropriate place to find the information the OP is asking for, rental housing mediation on the other hand will have the info or at least know where to find it. OP most students need housing for at least the semester, you might want to extend the amount of time or change your focus to another short term renter. Good Luck!
COMMENT 317011P	2012-09-06 04:29 PM
Any regulations would have to do with safety (such as smoke and carbon dioxide detectors) and zoning (not having cooking facilities if they aren't allowed or up to code, for example). If you rent longer than 14 days during a calendar year, you'll need to declare the income and need to depreciate the rental part of your home. Keep good records of income and expenses.
COMMENT 317012	2012-09-06 04:30 PM
MSSB, you might want to re read the post yourself, they are looking to rent to a visiting academic not a student.
COMMENT 317014	2012-09-06 04:37 PM
If most responders on this thread have trouble understanding what the OP is saying, the OP may want to rewrite and repost.... Just sayin'......
COMMENT 317017	2012-09-06 04:42 PM
317012 - Actually, the OP alludes to "academics" (plural), so we can safely assume that he will be charging $800 a head for 8 visiting Norwegians.
COMMENT 317028	2012-09-06 04:59 PM
012- Academic-noun - a student or teacher at a college or university. Either way they usually need housing for the semester whether they are the teacher or the student.
COMMENT 317033	2012-09-06 05:05 PM
I agree with 012, MSSB. The OP would have said "students" if they were students and not "academics".
COMMENT 317038	2012-09-06 05:08 PM
Your SFR is non-BND to the community"s GNR. Check with SBASD or similar.
COMMENT 317039	2012-09-06 05:10 PM
Nope MSSB there is a real need for short term rentals for visiting academics, so much so in fact that the university has it's own visiting academics housing. Usually 4-6 weeks.
COMMENT 317041	2012-09-06 05:13 PM
bwahahaha! @ 038!!!!
COMMENT 317044	2012-09-06 05:23 PM
I say rent it to them! If it is short term you may need to notify your insurance company that you'll have a temporary boarder but with it being so short they probably won't be concerned.
COMMENT 317055	2012-09-06 05:57 PM
The OP needs to collect the Transit Occupancy Tax from his tenants and submit funds to the State Board of Equalization. I'm his neighbor, and I'm watching.....
COMMENT 317057	2012-09-06 06:08 PM
If you have a rental studio you intend to use as a de facto duplex, you are not a SFR - and probably will be committing a zoning violation. Be prepared if a neighbor files a complaint.
D8VANILLA	2012-09-06 06:45 PM
Oh, I was confused. This person wants to rent out their studio on their property. I thought they wanted to rent a studio from someone.
COMMENT 317078	2012-09-06 07:55 PM
I can't offer any advice about the midwife - but congratulations on looking forward to your first child. Being a somewhat recent new parent - it is just the greatest thing in the world! Good luck to you.
COMMENT 317162	2012-09-07 07:53 AM
There is little in the way of rules for renting part of the SFR. If the house is compliant to the rules (no extra kitchen, etc) there is nothing about renting out part of the house. Just like renting the house long term. No occupant transient tax as far as I know. Where I live in the county, a neighbor was (is?) running a B&B. The county finally was brought in by complaints and the ruling was that as long as they weren't advertising, the situation was no different than a rented house. No tax, no regulation. Well, the IRS wants to know....... All IMHO
COMMENT 317165	2012-09-07 08:00 AM
078 I think you commented on the wrong thread... hahhahahah
COMMENT 317174	2012-09-07 08:31 AM
This is a rental of a studio which one assumes is a separately contained dwelling unit - kitchen, shower included? This would then be a separate "duplex unit" in a SFR and not renting "just a room" located within its SFR four walls. If this SFR is also located in a SFR zone, then indeed it would be a zoning violation to turn it into a duplex and run it as a rental business. Zoning protections exist for a reason and all owners buy into these areas with full knowledge up front as to their restrictions and the protections they often pay premium prices to obtain. This proposed rental scheme smacks of the old "rules are for someone else" irritation that is becoming the signature of our new Age of Narcissism, but certain facts remain missing to reach any final conclusions.
COMMENT 317200P	2012-09-07 09:09 AM
Not least needing to be known is where? "(W)hat the city's regulations are" could refer to Goleta or Santa Barbara (or maybe even Carpinteria or Solvang or Buellton, all with their own zoning codes.) Or maybe the SFR is in fact in R2 where, often, there are only single family residences --- and also often there are illegal (because of lack of parking or just not on record) second units, though it is zoned for two units. I worked for the last census and was fascinated to see how many second units there are in Santa Barbara. Hard to answer the question without knowing more......
COMMENT 317217	2012-09-07 09:44 AM
We are actually temporarily housing a (wonderful) visiting doctoral student from Brazil who is looking for affordable housing for now through the end of December. If that is not too long a stay for you, let me know here and I will post contact info.
COMMENT 317227	2012-09-07 09:55 AM
Any rental lasting more than 30 days does not need to collect TOT (transit occupancy tax). there are plenty of visiting professors and grad students who need housing. Monica Curry at the Theoretical Physics department helps them find places to stay. You might try contacting her.
COMMENT 317296	2012-09-07 12:08 PM
If you're zoned Z1, which you likely are, you cannot do this legally.
COMMENT 317588	2012-09-08 12:18 PM
Hello-thanks to those making suggestions. I do live in asingle family residence on the edge of downtown and upper east where are R2 properties because of large lots. My understanding is there is a need for housing for visiting researchers and scholars ( not intended for students, vacation rentals, more than 1 person or car) In summer and early fall. It is a large room in our house with bathroom and outside entrance. We would have a microwave and refrigerator which is why I thought it would be described as studio. We had thought about taxes but not insurance and wondered if we needed a permit or if it would be illegal . I plan to List it with UCSB staff/faculty housing office...and now the physics dept. or on Craigs list.
COMMENT 318576	2012-09-11 10:23 AM
@296, tell that to my neighbors that have 10 people living in a two bedroom house with every square inch of their yard covered with dead and dying vehicles and trash. Last I heard the city was down to one zoning enforcement officer so there is very little chance that even if you are doing something illegally, anyone will ever do anything about it. Unless you maybe live next to a City Council member or something. Or start selling meth to elementary school students.

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