Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City adopts short-term rental ordinance with licensing and owner-occupancy rules
Summary
After months of discussion, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of a short-term rental ordinance requiring annual licensing and inspections, posted emergency-contact information, lodging tax application, and owner-occupancy for short-term rentals in most residential districts; the public hearing closed with no comments.
The Planning Commission moved forward with adoption of a final short-term rental ordinance after staff summarized the draft and the public hearing produced no public comments. Staff said the ordinance (resolution 2024-SDR) defines a short-term rental, requires an annual license and inspection similar to the standard rental-license process, requires emergency contact information to be posted visibly at units, applies the lodging tax to short-term rentals, and requires owner-occupancy in residential districts except the multifamily district. Staff also said legal review resulted in added language clarifying the appeal process for license suspension or revocation.
Staff clarified the occupancy/time threshold used in the draft: the ordinance treats stays shorter than 28 days as short-term rentals and staff said the city’s short-term rental period is 27 days. In discussion commissioners noted that short-term rentals in the downtown area are generally in commercially zoned properties and would operate as permitted commercial uses rather than residential ones.
A commissioner moved and the commission seconded adoption of the ordinance resolution 2024-SDR and a separate motion for summary publication; both motions were approved by voice vote. Staff said it will monitor compliance and enforcement and brought the ordinance to the commission following a council workshop request to examine owner-occupancy in residential zones.
