After several months of development process involving County Board of
Commissioners deliberation and public opinion gathering, draft regulations for
short-term rentals (STR) in unincorporated Clackamas County are available
for public review and comment. The county will be seeking comment until the
Thursday, Jan. 9 deadline.

“I have received a lot of comments throughout the whole process and expect
to continue to do so,” said Clackamas County Senior Planner Martha Fritzie.
The draft proposal requires STR owners to register with the county and pay a
fee to cover the costs of administration and enforcement of the regulations.
The county estimates the fee will be between $800 and $900 for a two-year
registration.

Public comments will be shared with the commissioners as they consider
amendments and approval of the regulations later in the month. If approved,
the new regulations are expected to become effective July 1, 2020.

In addition to a registration fee, STR owners will be required to provide the
county information about their rental property including location, contact
information for complaints, an affidavit of compliance with safety standards,
proof of liability insurance, a site plan and dwelling floor plan. Owners will be
required to provide proof that all county fees and taxes have been paid,
including registration with the county’s Transient Lodging Tax program.
Betsy LaBarge, president of Mt Hood Vacation Rentals, cited compliance with
the lodging tax program as an element of the regulations crucial to fostering
tourism in the region.

“Tourism is everything for Mount Hood’s economy,” LaBarge said. “Without it
we’d be sleepy communities with less going on.”

The regulations also address issues of community nuisance voiced by the
public regarding STRs.

Maximum overnight occupancy for rentals will be restricted to two people per
sleeping area plus two additional people, with no more than 15 people on
premise. One off-street parking spot is required for every two sleeping areas
to limit street congestion. Outdoor garbage containers will be required to be
covered, with weekly scheduled pick-up. Rentals will be required to post quiet
hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in accordance with current county ordinances.
Building and fire safety requirements will be enforced by proposed regulations
including mandatory smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, emergency
escape routes, fire extinguishers and other code issues.

“Pretty much everything (the regulations require) we already do as a best
business practice,” LaBarge said about the regulations’ impact on the 32
rental properties she currently manages. “We don’t want to be a bad
neighbor.”

Draft regulations will only apply to rentals outside of city limits in
unincorporated Clackamas County. Fritzie stated a significant addition to the
regulations implemented by the board of commissioners during the last policy
meeting will require that STRs inside the Portland metropolitan urban growth
boundary be the owner’s primary residence or located on the same lot as the
owner's primary residence.

Enforcement of the regulations will be carried out by the sheriff’s office or
county code enforcement depending on the issue. Noncompliance with STR
regulations will result in enforcement consequences including inspections,
citations and fines, as well as potential revocation of registration.
Draft regulations are available for public review and comment online at
www.clackamas.us/planning/str.

Data from the survey will be presented to the commissioners as they prepare
for a Jan. 14 policy session to prepare STR amendments. This policy session
will be followed by a Jan. 30 board of commissioners public hearing for the
reading of the proposed amendments.

More information is available by contacting senior planner Martha Fritzie at
mfritzie@clackamas.us or by phone at 503-742-4529.