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County review finds short‑term rentals unlikely to have reduced long‑term housing availability in Holiday Farm Fire recovery area
Summary
A staff review found short‑term rentals make up about 2% of housing in the Holiday Farm Fire Recovery Area (below a 4% threshold cited in university research), and recommended no change to Lane County’s current policy that treats short‑term rentals as single‑family dwellings.
Lane County staff reported March 18 on the prevalence and potential housing impacts of short‑term rentals (STRs) in the McKenzie Valley and the Holiday Farm Fire recovery area, concluding that current STR levels do not appear to be reducing long‑term rental availability in the holiday‑fire zone.
What staff reviewed
Coordinated services supervisor Mary Ann Nolte compiled data from Travel Lane County and U.S. Census sources. She compared renter-occupied housing shares for Lane County as a whole versus the McKenzie River Census County Division (CCD), and tallied registered STR listings in the McKenzie corridor and inside the Holiday Farm Fire Recovery Zone.
Key findings
- Renter-occupied housing: Lane County overall is about 41% renter-occupied households, while the McKenzie CCD is roughly 11% renter-occupied (reflecting a more rural and second‑home heavy housing stock).
- STR counts and share of housing stock: Travel Lane County counts about 116 STRs across the McKenzie Valley (from Cedar Flat to Belknap Hot Springs), representing about 5% of housing in the full corridor (a figure that includes resort communities such as McKenzie Bridge and Belknap). Within the delineated Holiday Farm Fire Recovery Zone, staff counted about 45 STRs, roughly 2% of housing stock there.
- Research threshold: University of Oregon planning research suggests a 4% STR share of total housing as a rough threshold where STRs may begin to have measurable negative impacts on long-term rental availability. The Holiday Farm Fire recovery area’s 2% share falls below that 4% threshold; the wider valley’s 5% figure is driven in part by resort communities.
Recommendation
Because the Holiday Farm Fire recovery area falls below the 4% threshold and because many STR listings in the broader valley are concentrated in resort nodes, staff recommended no change to county policy at this time. Lane County’s current practice treats STRs the same as other single‑family dwellings; counties that have regulated impacts typically use tools such as STR licensing, spatial caps (distance limits between STRs), numeric caps on licenses, or limits on nights rented per year.
Caveats and additional notes
- The STR counts do not distinguish between entire‑unit rentals and rooms rented within a primary residence; Travel Lane County registration data do not provide that breakdown.
- The McKenzie Valley includes many second‑home and resort properties that make the corridor more attractive for short‑term visitors than purely residential neighborhoods.
- Commissioners and staff noted that the post‑fire housing stock is still being rebuilt, so future STR shares could change as new housing is constructed and rebuilt. Several commissioners emphasized that local patterns and rebuilding choices will affect future outcomes; County staff said they will continue to monitor trends and take action only if evidence suggests negative impacts on long‑term housing availability.
Ending
The board received the briefing with no change to county policy at this time; staff will continue monitoring STR counts and housing trends as rebuilding proceeds.
