Consultant outlines inspections, "scraping" and licensing to track unpermitted rentals

At the meeting the consultant described practical tools a contracted program could deploy to find and bring unlicensed short-term rentals into compliance. He said a registration system tied to an inspection step and an automated monitoring service would make enforcement more consistent than volunteer checks.

"They weekly look at all advertisements. They look at anyone who's made a review on a short term rental in your jurisdiction and they post that on a map for me," the consultant said, describing how scraped listing data is matched to assessor records and calendars to identify owners and potential unpermitted activity. He said the program can support sending enforcement letters, which can prompt registration or cessation of illegal listings.

The consultant recommended brief inspections focused on life-safety items such as smoke detectors, egress windows and stair rails; he characterized typical inspections as "about 15 minute inspections, maybe 0.5 hour if it's a large, multi-... bedroom building." Commissioners asked who would carry liability for third-party inspections and whether the city or a contractor would be responsible for enforcement decisions. Staff said legal questions would require attorney input before a final model is adopted.