By Keith Hamm, Santa Barbara Independent

The City of Santa Barbara’s escalating crackdown on short-term vacation rentals has experienced plenty of expected backlash, the latest of which claims in court that the city’s position violates California’s formidable Coastal Act, a 40-year-old law designed to balance development pressures along the coast with conservation efforts and public access. The lawsuit — filed this week by Theo Kracke, owner of Paradise Retreats, which manages 27 short-term rentals within city limits — is buoyed by state law requiring relatively affordable overnight lodging along the coast. According to the suit, “[Short-term vacation rentals] serve as a lower cost alternative to renting hotel or motel rooms for families and small groups from diverse demographic sectors and incomes to enjoy coastal access.”

See the full article at Independent.com.

By Alex Burness, Daily Camera Staff Writer

With more than 20,000 ballots counted as of 1:23 a.m. Wednesday, 57 percent of Boulder voters supported a 7.5-percent tax on short-term rentals such as AirBnB and VRBO — one of three taxes approved this election — and denied a $10,000 pay raise for City Council members.

The passage of the tax sets into action an ordinance, passed 8-1 by the council in September, that allows Boulder homeowners to rent out their rooms to tourists as often as they’d like, and accessory units — converted garages, for example — for up to 120 days a year.

See the full article at DailyCamera.com