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Committee directs study of short-term rental tax feasibility, asks for OCFO analysis in four weeks
Summary
Council assigned a memorandum to study feasibility of a tax on short-term rentals to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and requested a response in four weeks; members expressed a desire to protect bona fide renters.
The committee assigned a council memorandum studying the feasibility of imposing a tax on short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnb) to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) for analysis and asked for a written response in four weeks.
Councilmember Mary Waters had submitted the memorandum asking for a feasibility study; during public comment, callers raised concerns that a short-term rental tax could unintentionally affect bona fide month-to-month renters. One commenter asked that residents on month-to-month leases not be taxed as visitors.
City staff told the committee the item had been assigned to the OCFO and that the Department of Licensing and Permits (LPD) and the Treasury Department were willing to coordinate. Committee members voted to bring the item back in four weeks to allow the OCFO, LPD and Treasury time to prepare an analysis.
Committee instructions were procedural: members moved to refer line item 5.6 to the OCFO with LPD and the Treasury to coordinate and to return the item in four weeks. The referral will produce a fiscal and administrative feasibility analysis for council consideration.
