Realtors Win ZIR Battle

The city council voted Tuesday to tone down the requirements of Zoning Information Reports (ZIRs), which are drafted when residential properties change owners. An update to city code eliminates the physical inspection requirement of ZIRs and instead allows an owner to only disclose existing written city records to a potential buyer. The owner is also now required to provide the ZIR to a potential buyer within seven days of entering into a sales agreement. The changes, while seemingly minor, cap a 10-year-long effort by Santa Barbara Realtors to eliminate frequent complaints by sellers and buyers that the city’s physical inspections often went beyond their original purpose and scope.