In an effort to help Tier 3 & 4 hosts submit their quarterly reports to the City of San Diego, the San Diego STRA hosted a Q&A webinar on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Below are the questions that registrants submitted. The San Diego STRA board prepared answers by submitting their own reports and contacting the City.
Q: How do you indicate unhooked dates or personal use dates, or do you just exclude them altogether?
A: You only need to include all dates revenue was generated.
Q: I thought Airbnb and VRBO had a contract with the city to provide this information and tax automatically.
A: Hosts generate booking from sources besides Airbnb and VRBO. The report is verified from the Host and must include all dates booked.
Q: If we can not provide the quarterly report on time.. can we get an extension?
A: No, Hosts who fail to comply with all STRO requirements risk enforcement action being taken against them up to and including civil penalties & license revocation. Please refer to the full text of the STRO ordinance.
Q: I heard a rumor that we needed to upload a record of the human trafficking course with the quarterly report.
A: This rumor is false. As long as the host has a current certificate of completion of human trafficking training, they should be in compliance. They do not need to submit it to the office; they just need to have it ready upon request.
Q: Clarity on the documentation process. I can’t seem to do it.
A: If you are having issues or if there is a question that we have not answered, please call 619-615-6120 or email Stro@sandiego.gov.
Q: How can I automate this reporting?
A: There is no way to automate reporting to the City.
Q: What is required for the City’s Quarterly reporting?
A: You must submit in a PDF format the check-in and check-out dates and the number of nights from May 1 through June 30 by July 31, 2023.
Q: What is the best format to send these reports? Can we just send a CSV export from Airbnb?
A: It must be in PDF format.
Q: Will we have to do this at the end of the year?
A: You must submit one at the end of each quarter as outlined on the STRO Website. We haven’t heard of any requirements for the end of the year.
Q: Any thoughts on what is going to happen to the owners who used hosts to get additional permits?
A: Unknown to SDSTRA at this time.
Q: Is there a way to simplify this process for management w/ multiple units – end result is increasing cost to owners & not wanted.
A: The property manager can help get the correct PDF to attach, but each owner is responsible for submitting their own report.
Q: If we are only listed on Airbnb, what filings must we complete?
A: It is the same filing as if you had multiple sources. You just have to pull the information from Airbnb to attach.
Q: Do Tier 2 hosts have to give quarterly reports?
A: No
Q: Am I able to submit one combined quarterly report for all properties I manage? Where do I submit the quarterly report?
A: No, the owner must submit one for each property using the same login that they used to apply for the license.
Q: How can I get help? I try, but just not able to do it.
A: If you are still having issues after this presentation, please get in touch with the STRO at 619-615-6120 or by email at Stro@sandiego.gov.
Q: What do I need to submit, and how?
A: Please refer to the presentation.
Q: What exactly will the City do with the quarterly reports?
A: To confirm compliance with maintaining a license (90-day min).
Q: Where can we get an Airbnb report with check-in AND check-out dates? I only see a report for the check-in date and # of nights booked.
A: If you are still having issues after this presentation, please get in touch with Airbnb.