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Public strongly encouraged to provide feedback; Rules would affect STRs in unincorporated areas
The Board of County Commissioners will hold its second public hearing to consider implementing rules and regulations regarding short-term rentals (STRs) next Thursday, Sept. 7. The hearing will be held during the board’s regular weekly Business Meeting at 10 a.m.
The public is encouraged to provide testimony at this hearing. Residents and interested parties can do so either in person or over Zoom. Connectivity information and the meeting’s agenda can be found at www.clackamas.us/meetings/bcc/business and will be listed by the end of the day today, Aug. 31.
If the County Code is amended, the regulations will take effect only within the unincorporated areas of Clackamas County – there would be no effect on STRs located within city limits. Further, this program is considered to be a pilot program, and would be in effect for two years from the time of being enacted.
Residents are encouraged to review the updated STR regulations, which can be accessed at www.clackamas.us/str.
Proposed changes
Clackamas County currently has no STR regulations. Proposed regulations would require all STRs in unincorporated Clackamas County to register with the county. The process would be free and an in-home inspection would not be required. When registering, the property owner and/or manager would certify that the property meets safety standards and that they will abide by the STR program rules. These include, but are not limited to:
- STR owners will continue to pay the county’s transient lodging tax (6%)
- The proposed STR regulations impose a .85% user fee on the total rental amount
- No STR may be publicly advertised for rent unless it has been registered with Clackamas County
- STRs shall comply with all building and fire standards
- STR registration identification numbers shall be included on any advertisement or rental platform
- Contact information of a party responsible for the STR shall be posted at all times while paying guests are on the property, in an area and size readily visible from the nearest public roadway. That person/company must be available 24/7 and able to respond to complaints within two hours.
- The number of STR occupants shall not exceed the number authorized in the registration. Fifteen occupants is the maximum.
- Notice shall be clearly posted in the STR that identifies and informs occupants of the county's noise control ordinance
- Adequate parking – one off-street motor vehicle space per sleeping area – is required. There are exceptions to this for certain areas of the Mount Hood community (see “Updates since the first public hearing” below).
- Vehicles shall never block access for emergency vehicles, access to the premise, or a parked motor vehicle. These violations, or other parking performed in a manner that violates the county’s current parking and towing ordinance standards, may subject the offending vehicle to immediate tow.
- The proposed STR regulations do not apply to hotels, motels, bed and breakfast facilities, hostels, campgrounds, lodging and resort accommodations in commercial zones, recreational vehicle camping facilities, or organizational camps
Updates since the first public hearing
The board held the first public hearing on this matter on Aug. 10. Many individuals provided testimony both in person and over Zoom at that time. Additionally, commissioners received dozens of emails from residents before that time and since.
Stemming from these communications, the board directed staff to update the draft regulations for this second public hearing. Some of these updates include:
- Specifying that the regulations would not apply to “lodging and resort accommodations in commercial zones” and that STRs in dwellings approved under the “resort accommodations” category in the Rural Tourist Commercial district (see here and here) are not required to provide more off-street parking than was required and approved under Zoning and Development Ordinance provisions.
- Increasing the absolute maximum STR occupancy to 15.
- Adding that outdoor garbage receptacles not only be covered, but secured to prevent spillage.
- Removal of the name of the party responsible for an STR being publicly visible from the roadway.
Review the updated STR regulations (with changes noted).
Violations
Clackamas County encourages any residents/parties to cooperate directly to resolve conflicts arising from an STR. First attempts to remedy violations should be to contact the posted STR representative. If a person does not respond within 24 hours or does not adequately remedy the issue, the county should be notified. Further details:
- Clackamas County reserves the right to immediately revoke registration if it determines an STR is a fire or life safety risk
- Clackamas County reserves the right to review pertinent financial records or visit the STR to ensure violations have been resolved at any reasonable time
- When noncompliance of the STR regulation is suspected, the county shall issue up to two warnings in writing
- An owner that operates an STR without an approved registration or while suspended shall be subject to penalties
Some of the violations above have also been updated since the previous public hearing. Review the updated STR regulations (with changes noted).
Next steps
After this second public hearing, should the board adopt these new regulations, the ordinance would be effective after 90 days. Before going into effect, the county would post the registration application online.
Interested parties can provide testimony during the upcoming public hearing, and can also submit written comments for the record to bcc@clackamas.us with the subject line “STR Regulation Comments.”
The full proposed updated regulations can be found online. Members of the media may contact Clackamas County Public Affairs’ Dylan Blaylock. STR owners and interested parties with questions can contact Policy Advisors Caroline Hill or Everett Wild at 503-655-8581 or bcc@clackamas.us.
Future updates about the project and public hearings can be found at www.clackamas.us/str.