Salem council adopts housing-code revisions and new short-term rental rules

Salem City Council on Feb. 3 adopted revisions to the city’s housing code and enacted a new short-term rental ordinance after a rules committee report and a council vote.

Mr. Stockman, who introduced the housing ordinance amendments, said the changes align ordinance language with updated procedures and applications. The committee recommended removing the requirement that the city be named as a certificate holder for insurance and replacing submission of insurance certificates with an owner affirmation that valid insurance is maintained. The committee also updated the occupancy-license fee language (committee discussion referenced a fee of $72), clarified that exterior inspections will continue by default and that interior inspections will require voluntary consent or an administrative warrant, and directed that fees be deposited into the general fund.

On short-term rentals, the committee and council introduced a new ordinance (Chapter 1339) establishing annual permits and an occupancy-license fee (committee cited $72 parity with housing), requiring fire inspections, and setting permit issuance and administrative procedures similar to the housing changes. The committee estimated 20–25 short-term rentals already operate in Salem. Council members discussed appeals processes and bed-tax considerations and decided not to include a bed tax in the ordinance at this time.

Council added an emergency clause to the housing-code ordinance before final reading so the separation of responsibilities described in the legislation could take effect immediately; that ordinance and the short-term-rental measure passed by unanimous vote.

Implementation notes: city staff said updated, fillable application PDFs will be posted on the city website; code enforcement and fire departments may coordinate inspections as issues arise.