Veneta council adopts short‑term rental code changes and sets annual permit fee

Veneta’s City Council approved a package of ordinances and a companion resolution on Feb. 9 to move short‑term rental regulations out of the zoning code and into the municipal code, and to establish a permit fee for short‑term rental operators.

Community development staff told the council the change is intended to avoid land‑use appeals by treating the rules as municipal code regulations rather than zoning code provisions. Staff said the planning commission reviewed the amendments and recommended approval; no public comments were received during the published hearings. "We are recommending a permit fee of a $100 and a renewal fee of $75," staff said, adding the fee is meant to cover staff time to process permits and enforcement.

Council members debated the fee level and enforcement approach, noting concerns that a $100 fee could dissuade voluntary registration and suggested alternatives such as a lower initial fee or financial incentives to encourage compliance. Staff responded that the permit targets full‑time vacation rental operators rather than occasional hosts, and said platforms that collect payments on behalf of hosts could be required to remit transient room taxes under the revised code. A motion to adopt the resolution implementing the fee (Resolution No. 1470) was made, seconded, and approved by roll call.

The change also includes updates to the city’s transient room tax code so the city can seek tax remittance from booking platforms in cases where they collect payment for hosts. Council noted that enforcement could include code enforcement citations or requesting transaction reports from booking platforms; staff said they would follow up on practical procedures.