Council adopts ordinance updating rented‑room rules to enable shared housing and set occupancy and safety standards

On second reading the council adopted Ordinance 774 n.s., which revises Division 17.40 of the zoning code to implement shared‑housing provisions tied to the housing element. Assistant/associate planner Gopika Nair summarized the key changes: clearer definitions of owner and rented room, a two‑person per bedroom occupancy limit aligned with HUD guidance, a prohibition on new temporary or permanent kitchens in rented rooms, and a requirement that rented rooms be used as a primary residence.

Nair said staff is recommending two staff‑driven edits to the published language — removing an unnecessary reference to boarding houses and reordering provisions for clarity — and provided an effective date for the ordinance. Council members asked how enforcement would work; staff said compliance would be monitored through business license requirements and neighbor or tenant reporting rather than door‑to‑door inspections. On the question of who pays for shared‑housing matching services, staff said those services already exist and would be provided by third‑party partners; the cost would generally be borne by the owner or renter, not the city. A motion to approve the second reading passed on roll call.

Council members framed the revisions as supporting affordability and aging‑in‑place, while stressing safety requirements (smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, evacuation routes) and the need for public education about allowed shared‑housing configurations. The ordinance will become effective on Oct. 3, 2024.