Santa Barbara County, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Sec. 5 requires every owner or operator of a residential rental housing unit in the unincorporated community of Isla Vista, single-family homes, ADUs and junior ADUs, duplexes, triplexes and buildings of four or more units that are not owner-occupied, to register on a form provided by the Planning and Development Department. Owners of units that already existed when the ordinance was adopted had 45 days from adoption to register; owners of newly converted or newly acquired rental units must register within 45 days of the conversion or acquisition, or within 30 days of receiving written notice from the county requiring registration, whichever applies.

Registrations are submitted under penalty of perjury and are subject to verification by the Planning and Development director; the department may reject or flag information found to be false. Excluded from the definition of 'residential rental housing unit,' and therefore from this registration duty, are mobile home parks, transient hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts, and licensed hospital, hospice or nursing-home units. During the pilot's first year the county waives the registration and inspection fee under Sec. 13; a fee schedule is adopted by the Board only if the program is extended beyond twelve months.

If an owner does not register, Sec. 5(D) lets the director register the unit in the owner's name anyway, set an inspection date, and mail the owner written notice, while the owner still faces the enforcement penalties in Sec. 9.