Santa Barbara collected $2.7 million in Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) for November 2025, the fifth month in the city’s fiscal year.

The 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.

Year to date, the city has collected $17.7 million in overall TOT, of which some $15.3 million came from hotels and $2.4 from short-term rentals.

Year-to-date, total TOT revenues are coming in 3.2% above budget.

The city’s adopted TOT budget for all funds is $35.5 million, of which $29.5 million is budgeted in the General Fund.

View the Transient Occupancy Tax Table here.

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.

For additional current and historical financial data, visit the City’s Budget & Reporting webpage.