County staff detail short-term rental permitting rollout, propose tighter renewal window and stepped enforcement
Rich County Commission · January 7, 2026
Summary
County staff reported 88 identified short-term rental listings and 45 renewals to date, recommended moving the renewal window to Sept.1–Dec.31, and described a staged enforcement plan that starts with letters and could progress to fines after notice for the roughly 50 properties with no record of permits.
County planning and permitting staff told the commission that a new software rollout for short-term rental (STR) permits found roughly 88 historical listings and 45 completed renewals so far. Samantha Fields, the county administrative assistant, said the permit renewal window currently runs through March 31, which creates a confusing grace period: many properties appear “expired” to the software even while renewals are still being accepted.
"As of right now, we have 45 successful renewals of the roughly 88 that we started with," Fields said, explaining the discrepancy and the user confusion caused by the software’s expiry logic. Staff proposed moving the renewal window in future years to Sept. 1–Dec. 31 so January 1 counts reflect an accurate compliance roster.
Staff outlined a staged enforcement plan for noncompliant listings. They identified about 50 properties with no permit application on file and described a process of sending an initial noncompliance letter followed by a second notice and evidence report. The county’s ordinance provides for fines ($300 per day) after a written notice and subsequent violations; staff said they would begin with written notices and ask the county attorney about escalation procedures.
Commissioners debated whether the first response window should be 14, 15 or 30 days; staff recommended a 30‑day notice period for the county’s first enforcement round this year and said that the county would run draft ordinance language through planning and zoning before changes take effect.
No ordinance changes were adopted at the meeting; planning staff said they will prepare revisions, run them through Planning and Zoning and schedule public hearings as required.
