Santa Barbara County · checked 2026-09-13
Can you BnB it in Goleta?
AllowedGoleta allows short-term vacation rentals citywide with an annual city license, and non-hosted whole-home rentals are limited to 120 nights per calendar year. The license does not run with the land and cannot be transferred, so a buyer must apply for a new license after purchase.
The rules, with their sources
Permit or licenseA permit or license is required before operating.L15.08.030(A) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Hosted onlyThe code does not limit rentals to hosted stays.L1GMC Ch 5.08 (5.08.010 to 5.08.140), Ord. 15-02 Sec 1; amended by Ord. 23-07 Sec 1 and Ord. 26-06 (5/19/2026); TOT Ch 3.06, Ord. 12-07 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Primary residenceThe code does not require the rental to be the operator's primary residence.L1GMC Ch 5.08 (5.08.010 to 5.08.140), Ord. 15-02 Sec 1; amended by Ord. 23-07 Sec 1 and Ord. 26-06 (5/19/2026); TOT Ch 3.06, Ord. 12-07 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Night capUnhosted rentals are capped at 120 nights per year.L1GMC Ch 5.08 (5.08.010 to 5.08.140), Ord. 15-02 Sec 1; amended by Ord. 23-07 Sec 1 and Ord. 26-06 (5/19/2026); TOT Ch 3.06, Ord. 12-07 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Caps and limitsNo citywide unit cap in Chapter 5.08. The only cap is the 120 cumulative nights per calendar year on non-hosted rentals (5.08.140).L15.08.140 · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Transfer when the home sells5.08.030(F): a license may not be transferred from one person to another and does not run with the land; any change of ownership or of the owner's organizational structure requires a new license. The only exceptions incorporated are GMC 5.01.300 (a licensee may move the license to a different site for a two dollar fee with department approval) and 5.01.310 (a partnership license may be transferred to a new partnership formed by admitting new partners, on application and a two dollar fee). Neither lets a buyer take over a license on sale.L15.08.030(F) · code text · checked 2026-09-13
Read the code text →
In the city's own words
5.08.030(A)“No owner or owners of a short-term vacation rental shall rent, offer to rent, or advertise for rent a short-term vacation rental to another person without a license approved and issued in the manner provided for by this chapter.” source
5.08.030(F)“A short-term vacation rental license may not be transferred from one person to another. A short-term vacation rental license does not run with the land. Except as provided in Goleta Municipal Code Sections 5.01.300 and 5.01.310, any change to the organizational structure of the owner or any change of ownership of the short-term vacation rental requires a new short-term vacation rental license.” source
5.08.140“A non-hosted short-term vacation rental may not be rented out more than 120 cumulative nights per calendar year.” source
5.08.020“a dwelling unit other than a dwelling unit located in a hotel...that is rented to a tenant for a period of not more than 30 consecutive days.” source
Citation: GMC Ch 5.08 (5.08.010 to 5.08.140), Ord. 15-02 Sec 1; amended by Ord. 23-07 Sec 1 and Ord. 26-06 (5/19/2026); TOT Ch 3.06, Ord. 12-07
Check a specific address
The checker resolves any California address to its jurisdiction and returns these rules with their verification level. Where a county or city publishes a licensed-rental registry or parcel map (Riverside County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and a growing list), it also runs parcel spacing, permit cap, and registry checks.
How this page was verified
Verified from the municipal code (level 1), checked on 2026-09-13 by the CanIBnB research desk. Research is AI assisted and human reviewed; the method, the level system, and the re-check schedule are on the How we verify page. If anything here is wrong, report it and it goes in the public corrections log.