On September 23, the Encinitas City Council held a public hearing to consider introducing Ordinance 2026-15. The posted materials propose:
- Changing STR permits from annual to three-year renewals.
- Allowing revocation after 12 months of inactivity.
- Requiring Airbnb, Vrbo and other facilitators to collect and remit transient-occupancy tax.
- Requiring platforms to supply addresses, parcel numbers, booking data and permit identifiers.
- Allowing delinquent STR taxes, penalties and interest to be placed on the secured property-tax roll following the required hearing and council process.
The public packet recommends introduction, but a certified vote result or meeting minutes had not yet been posted when checked. It should therefore be described as proposed or under consideration, not final law. encinitas.granicus.com
The staff report also says its monitoring system previously identified approximately 285 unpermitted STRs. After 267 violation notices, advertised unpermitted rentals reportedly declined about 35%, to fewer than 186 by the end of August. Some owners obtained or applied for permits; others stopped advertising.
Platform-level reporting would make unpermitted rentals and unpaid TOT easier to detect. It may also cause some owners to reconsider whether a short-, medium- or long-term rental strategy makes the most sense.
Own or plan to purchase an Encinitas rental? Verify its permit and tax history directly with the city. SoCal Life Realty and Property Management can help you compare vacation, furnished mid-term and traditional long-term rental strategies.