Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Carpinteria, California
Partly. Anywhere in Carpinteria's single-family zones you can rent rooms as a licensed "home stay" if you live there during every overnight stay (up to 4 guests). Renting a whole home while you're away (a vacation rental) needs a city license and is allowed only in the Vacation Rental Overlay District, where licenses are capped by area.
| Home stay license | Required; owner must stay in the home during all overnight rentals [1] |
| Home stay max guests | 4 guests, 1 vehicle [3] |
| Vacation rental (whole home) location | Only in the Vacation Rental Overlay District [5] |
| Vacation rental caps | Area A 55, Area B 115, Area C 30, Area D 18 [7] |
| Vacation rental max occupancy | 2 per unit plus 2 per bedroom [8] |
| Local contact | Owner or manager must live or work within 30 miles [9] |
| What counts as short-term | 30 consecutive days or less [11] |
| License term | One year, July 1 to June 30 [10] |
Two kinds of short-term rental
Carpinteria's rules (Ord. 708, effective July 1, 2017) cover rentals of 30 consecutive days or less [11] and split them into home stays and vacation rentals. Both need a city license, and only property owners can apply [2][4]. Fees are set by City Council fee schedule; our sources don't list the amounts.
Home stays (owner on site)
Home stays are allowed in the R-1, PUD and PRD residential districts. You must live in the home during all overnight rental periods [1]. A home stay is limited to four guests [3] and one guest vehicle. You also need a city business license and a transient occupancy tax (TOT) certificate, and ads must show your license number and the TOT rate. At renewal you must show the home is your primary residence.
Vacation rentals (whole home, owner away)
Vacation rentals are allowed only in the Vacation Rental Overlay District, an area serving the beach and downtown [5]. Licenses are capped at 55 in Area A, 115 in Area B, 30 in Area C and 18 in Area D [7][12]. When an area is full, applicants go on a first-come, first-served waiting list. Licenses run July 1 to June 30 and must be renewed by June 30, with no grace period [10]. A license ends automatically when the property is sold.
Operating rules include [8][9]:
- maximum occupancy of 2 people per unit plus 2 per bedroom
- an owner or manager living or working within 30 miles and reachable at all times
- no events such as weddings or sales
- vehicles limited to the number in the license
- contact information posted outside and a notice inside the front door
- neighbors within 100 feet notified if there's no live-in manager.
ADUs
An ADU or junior ADU can't be used as a short-term rental (see ADUs).
Violations can be charged as a misdemeanor or infraction, and licenses can be revoked after a hearing.
See how Carpinteria compares with 8+ other California towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Check the city's Vacation Rental Overlay District map on the Short-Term Rental Information page to see whether your parcel is eligible for a whole-home license.
- Submit the STR Application (business tax license and TOT certificate) through the city's STR website; questions go to (805) 389-3554 or carpinteriatot@hdlgov.com.
- For a home stay, have proof the home is your primary residence (driver's license, homeowner's exemption) and sign the building and safety affidavit.
- File quarterly TOT returns and renew the license before June 30 each year.
Common questions
- Are short-term rentals allowed in Carpinteria, California?
- Partly. In single-family zones you can rent rooms as a licensed home stay if you live there during every overnight stay. Renting a whole home while you're away needs a vacation rental license and is allowed only in the Vacation Rental Overlay District.
- How many vacation rental licenses are there in Carpinteria, California?
- Licenses are capped at 55 in Area A, 115 in Area B, 30 in Area C and 18 in Area D. When an area is full, applicants go on a first-come, first-served waiting list.
- How many guests can stay in a short-term rental in Carpinteria, California?
- A home stay is limited to four guests and one guest vehicle. A vacation rental's maximum occupancy is 2 people per unit plus 2 per bedroom.
- Do I need a license for an Airbnb in Carpinteria, California?
- Yes. Both home stays and vacation rentals need a city license, and only property owners can apply. Licenses run July 1 to June 30, must be renewed by June 30 and end when the property is sold.
- Can I Airbnb my ADU in Carpinteria, California?
- No. An ADU or junior ADU can't be used as a short-term rental.
California state rules for short-term rentals
California has no statewide short-term rental license or registry. Your city or county decides whether and how you can rent on Airbnb or VRBO, including permits, caps, primary-residence rules and minimum stays.
Taxes: cities and counties may levy a transient occupancy tax (TOT) on stays of 30 days or less (Rev. & Tax. Code §7280). Rates and registration are local, and the county rate applies only in unincorporated areas.
New platform reporting law: since January 1, 2026, a city or county can adopt an ordinance requiring platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to report the address of each short-term rental (Gov. Code §50990 et seq., SB 346). Where a city has opted in, listings must also show the local license number and TOT certificate.
ADUs and SB 9 units: state law lets cities require that ADUs be rented for 30 days or longer. It requires that for by-right ADUs, junior ADUs and units built under SB 9 lot splits (see ADUs).
Coastal zone: in a December 2016 letter, the Coastal Commission said:
- STR rules in the coastal zone must be adopted through the city's Local Coastal Program or a coastal development permit, and bans adopted any other way are likely not enforceable there.
- The Commission has not historically supported blanket STR bans, finding they unduly limit public access to the coast.
- It has supported reasonable limits, such as caps on the number of rentals, occupancy limits, and limits on which housing types can be rented.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 14.52.060(a), Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.52 Home Stays, p. 1
The owner shall reside in the residential unit during all overnight rental periods.
- Sec. 14.52.030, Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.52 Home Stays, p. 1
No person shall rent, offer to rent, or advertise for rent a home stay to another person or group without a license approved and issued in a manner provided for by this chapter. Only owners of a residential unit are eligible to apply for and receive a home stay license.
- Sec. 14.52.060(e), Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.52 Home Stays, p. 1
The maximum occupancy of a home stay shall be limited to no more than four home stay guests per home stay.
- Sec. 14.47.030, Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
No person shall rent, offer to rent, or advertise for rent a residential unit to another person or group for a vacation rental without a license approved and issued in a manner provided for by this chapter. Only owners of a residential unit are eligible to apply for and receive a vacation rental license.
- Sec. 14.47.010, Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
The purpose of the vacation rental overlay district is to establish vacation rentals as a permitted use in the vacation rental overlay district, to specify that they are only allowed in the vacation rental overlay district, and to provide opportunity for owners of residential units to be used as vacation rentals, as defined by Section 14.08 .
- Basic Information, Short-Term Rental Information - City webpage, p. 1
New VR licenses will be issued ONLY within the City’s Vacation Rental Overlay District (VROD); see map below.
- Sec. 14.47.090(a), Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
Area A, as identified on the vacation rental overlay district map adopted as part of Ordinance 708 on April 25, 2016: fifty-five vacation rentals;
- Sec. 14.47.080(j), Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
The maximum occupancy of a vacation rental shall be determined by the city and not exceed two occupants per unit, plus two occupants per bedroom.
- Sec. 14.47.080(a), Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
The owner or property manager must live or work within thirty miles of the premises and be able to respond to tenant and/or public concerns about the vacation rental at all times during which a residential unit is being rented as such.
- Sec. 14.47.100, Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
Licenses shall be issued for the period of time beginning on July 1st of each year and concluding on June 30th of the following year.
- I. Glossary, Short-Term Rental, Short-Term Rental Administrative Policies and Procedures (revised July 2025), p. 3
Short-Term Rental The rental of a Residential Unit for a period of thirty (30) consecutive calendar days or less, subject to all applicable City land use regulations, permit/licensing requirements, and payment of fees and/or taxes, including transient occupancy tax as defined in Chapter 3.20 of the CMC.
- Sec. 14.47.090(a)(ii)-(iv), Municipal Code Title 14 Ch. 14.47 Vacation Rental Overlay District, p. 1
Area B, as identified on the vacation rental overlay district map adopted as part of Ordinance 708 on April 25, 2016: one hundred fifteen vacation rentals; iii. Area C, as identified on the vacation rental overlay district map adopted as part of Ordinance 708 on April 25, 2016: thirty vacation rentals; iv. Area D, as identified on the vacation rental overlay district map adopted as part of Ordinance 708 on April 25, 2016: eighteen vacation rentals.