Westfir council reviews draft short-term rental ordinance, debates limits and protections

The Westfir City Council opened a work session Sept. 20 to review a draft ordinance regulating short-term rentals, using a Cascade Locks model as a starting point. Chair said the draft differentiates hosted home shares from other vacation rentals and asked the group to consider how definitions and enforcement would work for a small town.

Councilors pressed staff for specifics on occupancy limits, parking requirements and grandfathering language for existing units. One council member noted the example ordinance limits transient rentals to 5% of total residential units and imposes a 250-foot separation requirement; another raised the practical problem of how to accommodate larger families, asking whether the rule should measure sleeping spaces rather than just bedroom count. "I just hate shutting down families because this this," the Chair said, urging the council to allow reasonable options for family stays.

Members discussed whether management companies should be barred from operating short-term rentals in residential zones to keep listings owner-driven. Edward, a council member, warned of possible impacts on housing inventory and economic development, saying, "I think one of the keys to getting lots sold on the mill site will be people being able to rent them out." The council asked staff to check local land-development codes, consider a conditional-use route for mixed-use properties, and draft clear grandfathering language (for example, existing listings remain but new listings must meet proximity and registration rules).

The council directed staff to refine language on occupancy, RVs/tents, and enforcement and to include an outreach item in the October city newsletter so property owners and operators know registration and reporting expectations before an ordinance is finalized.