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Short-term Rentals

Short-term rentals are not regulated in Washington County. In recent years, community members sent emails and letters and testified before the Washington County Board of Commissioners about the impacts some short-term rentals have on the community.

Community Planning staff drafted the Short-term Rentals: Issues and Considerations issue paper as part of the 2019 Annual Work Program. Following a public comment period on the issue paper, the Washington County Board of Commissioners directed us to develop recommendations for requirements and to research the process to establish a licensing program.

In December 2020-January 2021, we asked the community to take a survey and comment on the proposed requirements through an online open house. The open house provided background on the draft requirements, and 326 people took the survey.

Update:

In April 2021, the Board asked us to develop a short-term rental ordinance and to research a licensing program for the urban unincorporated area (outside cities). We included this in the Work Program 2021-23, but start-up costs are significant, cannot be offset by short-term rental licensing fees and no funding is available. The County is also currently experiencing a $25.3 million shortfall in the General Fund.

As a result, we did not recommend including short-term rental regulations in the Planning Work Program for 2023-25. For more information, see Planning Work Program 2023-25 Staff Report. The Board agreed with staff, and approved the 2023-25 Planning Work Program that does not include development of short-term rental regulations.

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