House Renting in Santa Barbara, California
Referred to as "America's Riviera" the scenic beauty of Santa Barbara puts it on top of some peoples list for places to live. Mountains and the harbor, beaches and just an hour from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara has it all. Renting a house here is a great way to relocate and get a taste of what living in this community would be like. Whether it's for a short term job placement, or a long term move, renting a house in beautiful Santa Barbara is not as difficult as you might think. Here's what to think about before signing that lease.
Function
House rentals in Santa Barbara allow you to live in this desirable area without the commitment of a mortgage payment. You can find all the privacy and independence of home ownership with a short term or long term lease, and not have to worry about maintenance fees and other costs associated with owning a property. Get a taste of the high life without a long term commitment.
Types
Rents are pretty high in this desirable city, but you do get your money's worth. A three bedroom home in downtown Santa Barbara with a small yard is super convenient to freeways and local businesses, but the rent will be around $2400 a month.
A condo is another type of home rental available in Santa Barbara, and a three bedroom three baths would be about $2600. Condos also usually offer community grounds and pools and can be virtually maintenance free.
If you have money to burn, rent a large estate with a guest house in the high dollar neighborhoods of Hidden Valley or Hope Ranch. With six bedrooms and baths, an estate rental will cost you about $16,000 a month.
On the other end of the spectrum, you can rent an older two bedroom, one bath house perfect for a single person or young couple for about $1600 a month.
The least expensive type of home to rent in Santa Barbara is a HUD rental property. A four bedroom home could cost as little as $400 a month to qualified renters.
Size
The largest estates available in the area are a hefty 6000 square feet and may include a guest house and several acres of land.
A smaller condo or "guest suite" inside a larger home may still cost you $1700 a month for a mere 500 square feet. A nice 4 to 5 bedroom home may be up to 2700 square feet and cost around $5900.
Geography
Situated on the western coastline, Santa Barbara has the benefit of sitting between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the sea. The city itself takes up about 41 square miles of land with 54% of it surrounded by water.
There are a few areas within Santa Barbara to consider when renting a house including the Eastside, The Waterfront, Lower and Upper State Street and the Mesa which encompasses the city college area.
The Riviera area separates the Mission and the Sycamore Canyons and features curvy roads and tree lined streets.
San Roque is the downtown area is a little more inland and Hope Ranch is a suburb of Santa Barbara and is considered one of the wealthiest areas in the city.
Considerations
Think ahead to outdoor maintenance costs such as pool care and garden or lawn care. You may want to negotiate this routine maintenance into your lease, or ask that lawn care equipment and pool cleaning equipment be provided. Also, consider proximity to expressway on and off ramps as well as commuting and traffic times to and from tourist or popular areas. These are small details that can add up to big headaches once you deal with them on a day-to-day basis. Talk to the neighbors to get the skinny on the pro's and con's of living in the neighborhood.
Tags: Santa Barbara, bedroom home, long term, square feet, Barbara California, guest house