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Skamania County notifies short-term rental hosts in National Scenic Area of permit and residency rules
Summary
County staff told the Board that a letter campaign informed operators advertising on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO that some short-term rentals are not permitted under county zoning or require an application; enforcement and possible contractor options were discussed.
Skamania County staff reported May 20 that the county sent letters to people advertising short-term vacation rentals in parts of the National Scenic Area to advise them of permit and zoning requirements.
Staff said the outreach effort began about three years ago and uses listings from platforms such as VRBO and Airbnb to identify properties that lack the required permits. The letters tell operators how to apply for a permit when the use is allowed and to cease advertising when it is not. Staff noted that county code requires the host to be a resident of the county in many cases and that some people are using properties solely as commercial short-term rentals, which the county code does not permit in those locations.
Commissioners discussed whether a contract agency should be used for compliance work. Staff recalled that a contractor had previously scrubbed listings, generated compliance lists and handled enforcement including fines, taking a fee for that service. County staff said the office currently performs the scraping and notification in-house but is open to contracting compliance work if needed.
Staff also agreed to prepare a breakdown of zoning districts that allow short-term rentals and those that do not, and commissioners suggested coordinating with city governments such as Stevenson where appropriate. No formal ordinance change or vote occurred during the meeting.
