ITEM TITLE:
Discussion: Short-Term Rental Permit Update
SUBMITTED BY: Kate Huber, Community Development Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: n/a
Unencumbered Balance: n/a
Funding Source: n/a
RECOMMENDATION:
Discussion Only
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Community Development staff are preparing for the launch of the new Short-Term Rental Permit Application. Prior to launch, the City Manager requested a review of the short-term rental permit code and process.
During the discussion, the Community Development Director will provide a brief overview of the process - including application, safety inspection, permit issuance, and reporting.
Short-Term Rental Requirements:
- Permit required for all short-term rentals that provide accommodations for less than thirty days. Motels, hotels, lodges, and inns, rental cabins, and long-term residential rentals (thirty days or more) are not subject to the permit requirement.
- Short-term rental operators will be required to fill out an online permit application. Information supplied will include a local contact for the rental, unit type, whether the owner lives on site, valid business registration, etc.
- The initial application review will ensure a complete application and compliance with Title 17 standards.
- Following initial review, the applicant will schedule a safety inspection. The safety inspection will be performed by the Building Inspector to confirm adequate egress, functional smoke detectors, carbon monoxide monitors, and fire extinguishers.
- Following a successful safety inspection, the Community Development Director will complete a final review of the application packet for approval for issuance.
- Community Development staff will report all application decisions to the Finance Department for public accommodations tax compliance guidance.
The short-term rental standards from the Title 17 Zoning Code Specific Use Standards are attached for more detail. These provisions were adopted with the revised zoning code but have not been fully implemented. They are very similar to the Bed and Breakfast approval and inspection process that was part of the previous zoning code. The current code was drafted to mirror that process but includes all short-term rentals. If City Council seeks to make any changes to these standards, a code revision is required.
If no changes are requested, staff will proceed with launching the short-term rental permit application in March. Any efforts to enforce the short-term rental permit requirement will not occur until October 2026, after the busy summer season.