The city of Santa Barbara collected $2.3 million in Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) for March 2024, the ninth month in the city’s fiscal year.

Year to date, the city has collected $23.3 million in overall TOT, of which some $21.4 million came from hotels and $1.9 million from short-term rentals.

Year to date, total TOT revenues are coming in 4.2% below budget.

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.

The city’s adopted TOT budget for all funds is $33.0 million, of which $27.5 million is budgeted in the General Fund.

The Transient Occupancy Tax table can be viewed on the attachment. Santa Barbara’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.