SANTA BARBARA, CA – January 28, 2026Transient Occupancy Tax Results for the City of Santa Barbara – December 31, 2025The City of Santa Barbara collected $2.3 Million in Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) for December 2025, the sixth month in the City’s fiscal year. Year to date, the City has collected $20.1 Million in overall TOT, of which approximately $17.6 Million came from hotels and $2.5 Million from short-term rentals. The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is a tax on “transient” guests staying in any hotel, inn, motel, or other commercial lodging establishment for a period of less than 30 days. View the Transient Occupancy Tax Table. The City’s TOT tax rate is 12.0%, of which 10.0% goes to the City’s General Fund and the remaining 2.0% goes to the Creeks/Clean Water Fund.