Title
Short-term Rental Status Report
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Briefing only. No action requested.
City Manager Recommendation:
Briefing only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Staff will introduce an overall approach to addressing short-term rentals, including key policy considerations and methods for engaging the community and key stakeholders.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8046
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development
Stacey Ray, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
Short-term rentals are one of the best known and widely used examples of the rapidly growing sharing economy. Web-based booking services have exponentially expanded the ability for nearly anyone to participate in the vacation rental market. Some of the most commonly known online short-term rental platforms include: Airbnb, HomeStay, VRBO, and Flipkey.
A quick online search reveals that many of these platforms offer rental options in Olympia. Planners in Community Planning and Development regularly field phone calls from citizens who are interested in hosting a short-term rental. Code enforcement staff receive inquiries about properties suspected to be operating as short-term rentals.
City Councilmembers and staff have also received requests from bed and breakfast operators and hoteliers to look into a perceived regulatory and cost advantage for short-term rental operators, who don't have the same level of local and state regulatory, tax, and licensing requirements.
Project Purpose and Intent
The city's zoning code does not currently define a "short-term rental". As a result, properties advertised and used as short-term rentals are not currently regulated any differently than a long-term rental property.
The purpose of this project is to take a thorough and methodical approach to formalizing an equitable process an...
Click here for full text