SDSTRA Members and San Diego STR Stakeholders,
As a membership organization, we want to ask our members and those in the short-term rental community to be aware and take some action. The California Senate Appropriations Committee will vote on SB 584, a bill that would impose an additional 15% tax on short-term rentals (STRs). This will make STRs less affordable for guests and impact hosts like you.
Our Take:
We have deemed this a “vacation killer” bill because the guests will ultimately have to pay this additional 15% in taxes. This affects more than just the guests. With demand dipping and an uncertain tourism market, we should not tax the working families that would otherwise be unable to stay. Only applying this tax to STRs will also affect the hard-working folks that help keep the STRs available. Our communities in California will all be affected, and we will find less tourism in our great state.
Collective Approach:
We are in active conversations with other city leaders of the STRA groups in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Sonoma, and others willing to collaborate with us. These efforts are starting to make the local news, and we will need your help to gain awareness. Along with these efforts, we are working with Airbnb and Vrbo leadership as they are collectively working to persuade lawmakers about these unintended consequences and their unfair nature. We will continue this fight through our newsletter and outreach here.
Actions You Can Take Now:
This narrowly passed to get to the State Assembly. Let’s make sure this is where it ends. Lawmakers need to know that hosts like you are everyday Californians who rely on income from home sharing to afford to stay in your home. If you have not done so already, Airbnb has made it easy to share your story. Simply provide some information and answer a few questions to send an email to your representative.
Make your voice heard; take a moment to reach out to your representative today: https://actnow.airbnbcitizen.com/XxvvC7l
Join SDSTRA Today or Make a Donation:
If you are not already a member, join us so we can unite and fight this poorly intended law that is a “vacation killer” for us all. If you are already a member, please consider donating to the SDSTRA Advocacy Fund.