Legislative Alert – SB 346: Statewide STR Registry Bill Advances in Sacramento
📢 Legislative Alert – SB 346: Statewide STR Registry Bill Advances in Sacramento
A major short-term rental (STR) bill is moving forward in Sacramento, and it could have long-term implications for STR owners and operators in Newport Beach and across California.
🔍 What SB 346 Does
SB 346, authored by Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), would create a statewide short-term rental registry overseen by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The registry would collect data from hosting platforms and local governments to identify active short-term rental listings throughout California. Specifically, the bill would:
Require platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to share listing data with the state.
Mandate local governments to submit STR permit information to the state.
Create a publicly accessible registry of all STR properties in California.
Allow local jurisdictions to use registry data for enforcement or policy decisions.
📣 Supporters and Opponents
Supporters of the bill include several local governments, tenant advocates, and housing policy organizations. They argue that a centralized registry is essential for monitoring STR activity, curbing illegal rentals, and understanding STRs’ impact on housing availability.
Opponents include property rights advocates, STR platforms, and some local business groups. They’ve raised concerns about:
Privacy: The public nature of the registry may expose owner information.
Overreach: Critics argue this duplicates local authority and enforcement.
Unintended consequences: Increased scrutiny could discourage lawful STR activity that benefits tourism and local economies.
The implications of this bill are troubling, and STR owners here should be watching it closely.
📍 Why It Matters for Newport Beach
Even though Newport Beach already has its own robust STR permitting and enforcement system, SB 346 would layer a new level of state oversight on top of local rules. That could lead to:
Confusion or conflict between state and local data sets.
Greater visibility of your STR activity to regulators and the public.
New compliance responsibilities for hosts and platforms.
And once a statewide registry exists, it's not hard to imagine future legislation using that data to push new restrictions or taxes on STRs.
🔔 We’re Watching This Bill
SB 346 passed the State Senate and has now cleared key Assembly committees. It will likely be up for a floor vote in the Assembly before the end of August. If it passes and is signed by Governor Newsom, it would take effect in 2026.
Although we are focused on local laws and regulations, NBSTRA will continue to track this bill closely and keep you informed. The platforms (AirBNB, VRBO) are leading the opposition. If it moves forward, we’ll break down exactly what it means for you, how to stay in compliance, and how we can work together to defend fair STR policies in Newport Beach.
👉 Stay tuned to our news page and email updates for the latest.