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Pasco adopts citywide short‑term rental rules, to take effect Jan. 1, 2027
Summary
The Pasco City Council voted to create a new short‑term rental framework requiring a per‑address permit, business license endorsement, 24/7 local representative and annual self‑certification; the code clarifies where STRs are allowed and delays fee setting until later this year.
The Pasco City Council on Monday adopted an ordinance establishing a citywide regulatory framework for short‑term rentals, creating Pasco Municipal Code chapter 5.12 and setting an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027.
Deputy City Manager Crystal Sigdell told the council the rules are focused on life‑safety and operator accountability. The package requires each short‑term rental address to obtain a city short‑term‑rental permit and maintain a business‑license endorsement, name a local representative who can respond to complaints within an hour, carry liability insurance, and complete an annual life‑safety self‑certification kept on the property. Event‑style uses (weddings and large gatherings) are explicitly prohibited.
Sigdell said staff recommends relying on a self‑certification approach rather than annual city inspections to reduce costs and city workload. “We discussed a limited framework focused mostly on life safety and operator accountability,” she said during the presentation. The ordinance also directs staff to clarify where STRs are allowed across residential zoning and make code language consistent as part of the city’s broader land‑use work.
Council members pressed staff on details including how the one‑hour response standard will work and whether parking rules should be stricter. Several members reiterated their desire to keep the program as minimally prescriptive as possible to avoid heavy new compliance burdens. The ordinance leaves the exact application and permit fees to be proposed by staff and adopted later; Sigdell said staff will return with a recommended fee schedule before November.
Mayor Pro Tem Milo Miller moved to adopt the ordinance; the motion carried on a unanimous voice vote. The ordinance sets the regulatory template and instructs staff to publish forms (application, good‑neighbor policy and self‑certification) and to run education and outreach for residents and operators ahead of the Jan. 1, 2027 effective date.
What happens next: operators will be required to get a short‑term rental permit per address; staff will finalize application forms and recommend fees later this year; the council also directed staff to clarify whether neighborhood‑level restrictions (HOA rules, ADU limits) remain in effect.
