The Dalles City Council on Nov. 25 adopted an amended short‑term rental (STR) ordinance, choosing the option that preserves existing nonconforming licenses (no immediate phase‑out) while tightening rules for new licenses.

Staff presented two options: option A would have included an amortization (phasing out) process for existing nonconforming STRs; option B included code changes on proximity/vicinity, notification and complaint reporting but would grandfather existing licensed STRs. Staff also presented data: the city has 47 STRs total (33 non‑owner occupied) with 40 in residential zones and provided three proximity scenarios (100/300/500 ft) showing how many existing operations each would affect.

Public comment included multiple STR owners and neighbors. Owners argued STRs support tourism, local businesses and household income and urged option B or keeping the current rules; some neighbors described neighborhood impacts in specific clusters and urged stricter limits. Concerns raised included clustering, parking, noise, complaint processes and the timeline for implementation; staff said the city has had few documented police complaints but acknowledged some neighborhood friction.

After deliberation councilors agreed to adopt General Ordinance 24‑1407b (option B) with the following principal amendments: reduce the proposed residential proximity/vicinity buffer from 500 feet to 300 feet (retain 100 feet for nonresidential/commercial zones that permit residential uses), strike the requirement that license information be visible from the exterior (retain a conspicuous interior posting of license and maximum occupancy), and leave existing licensed STRs grandfathered under the ordinance. Council also directed staff to bring back an evaluation about 12 months after adoption and to extend the moratorium on issuing new non‑owner‑occupied STR licenses until the ordinance’s effective date (or no later than April 2025), a motion council approved.

Enforcement: the ordinance maintains complaint‑driven enforcement with expanded channels for reporting (email, web forms and written submissions), clarifies bedroom and studio definitions tied to occupancy (two guests per bedroom, with studios counted as one bedroom), and preserves a license revocation process for confirmed violations with administrative appeal rights to council.

What to expect next: staff will draft the ordinance language per council direction for formal consideration at a subsequent meeting (per charter requirements), finalize fee adjustments (staff proposed increasing the annual STR license from $75 to $115 under a 500‑ft notice scenario and $90 under a 300‑ft scenario), and return with the ordinance for formal adoption. The moratorium remains in effect until the ordinance’s effective date.