(Image by Egor Shitikov from Pixabay via Courthouse News)
(CN) California’s novel coastal protection law the California Coastal Act protects public access along the state’s entire 840-mile coast and ensures affordable accommodations are available to visitors.
Even though the 1976 law was enacted decades before popular home sharing apps like AirBnB and Vrbo turned the vacation lodging industry on its head, a state appellate court Tuesday found it effectively protects the rights of private property owners to rent their coastal residences to vacationers.
In an 11-page order, Second Appellate District Judge Steven Perren was joined by Judges Kenneth Yegan and Martin Tangeman in upholding a trial court’s decision that enjoined Santa Barbara’s 2015 law regulating short-term vacation rentals as “hotels” under its municipal code an effective ban on the income properties in the coastal zone.
The city appealed the decision, and on Tuesday it lost again.
“This published decision has statewide implications, said Kracke’s lawyer. Travis Logue with Rogers, Sheffield & Campbell. It’s a major victory for Californians who prefer affordable vacation accommodations along the coast. Our client deserves huge credit for waging this battle. He’s taken arrows from all sides and faced ridicule by the City Attorney’s Office. Anyone who uses or operates STVRs in Santa Barbara should thank him. Given the city’s terrible financial condition and depressed tax revenue, let’s hope the city embraces reasonable regulation. Miracles do happen.