HomeMy WebLinkAboutHSN Short Term Rental Position StatementThis position paper is being drafted for consideration to the Jefferson County
Planning Commission and the Department of Community Development on
behalf of the advocates at Housing Solutions Network.
The statements included in this paper serve as a representation of community
members who are in favor of regulating short term rentals in Jefferson County
to help preserve housing stock for long term rentals or purchase for local
residents.
HSN will be working in the coming months to help supply homeowners interested in shifting from
short term to long term rentals with support and resources.We welcome feedback on this process
and engagement from veteran landlords,newbies,and tenants as we continue to promote our vision
of affordable workforce housing solutions that foster a thriving community and support economic
vitality.
Local Economy.Local Workforce.Local Housing.
Advocates at Housing Solutions Network support the following ideas as they relate to the regulation
of Short Term Rentals (STRs)that fall under permanent structure housing accommodations,or
Category Type 1,according to the Jefferson County DCD,and do not extend to transient rentals
without structures.
Currently there are around 470 short term rentals in Jefferson County that we could find between
AirBnB +VRBO,the two largest platforms for STRs (however,there are many new platforms popping
up all the time!).The county has suggested that maybe half are permitted,and in this press release,
the County states that “information suggests there may be over 400 STRs in the county operating
without the required permits”,meaning illegal STRs.These numbers also include Type 2 unstructured
units,like HipCamp or Glamping (seasonal accommodations),so it’s hard to know how many are
actually out there because many of them are illegal.HSN is not recommending any regulation
suggestions for Type 2 unstructured units as we hope they don’t impact affordable housing options
(although we acknowledge many people in our community live in recreational vehicles,outbuildings,
and yurts that are designed to be seasonal housing).
We propose the following regulations be considered by the Department of Community Development
and the Jefferson County Planning Commission:
HSN Short Term Rental Regulations August 12,2024
Cap the number of Short Term Rentals (STRs)to 2%of the County’s Housing Units
Capping the number of STRs prevents investment opportunities from inflating housing prices,
reducing access to long-term rentals,or reducing inventory for purchase for and by local
residents.A sliding (growing)cap would help keep STRs in direct relation to housing stock-
fluctuating with new builds and availability.
Permits by Housing Stock:
Total JeffCo
Housing Units**
Port Townsend Housing
Units
#of County Housing
Units x 2%
#of Housing Units
19,087 5,692 13,395 x 2%268 units
**According to the 2020 US Census;Calculation:Total -Port Townsend =County #x 2%=#of units to set cap.
Require homeowners to apply for short term rental permits for property.STRs should not be
issued to homeowners or corporations operating more than one STR in Jefferson County.
Permitting is not a new requirement,but should be restated to ensure that residents and
homeowners are aware of this requirement and the steps to receive a permit.
Issue new permits every five years in relation to the growing number of housing units.By
nature,permits will be available every year by the organic process of buying and selling
housing stock in our community.Permits should not be transferable at point-of-sale.The
Department of Community Development will review the number of housing units every five
years to increase the total number of permits issued and should announce a set date in which
new issues will be available (ex:November 1st applications open).
Require short term vacation rental platforms,like AirBnb,VRBO,and others to register with
the County in order to operate.
Requiring short-term rental platforms (like AirBnb,VRBO,etc.)to register in Jefferson County
holds accountability and enforceability to vacation platforms that take a percentage of the
income from STRs.
Use platform-based enforcements to ensure permit compliance;meaning units can only be
available on rental platforms if they have an active permit issued by the local jurisdiction.
Alleviates enforcement from local government municipalities to platform-specific
enforcement,reducing overhead costs of city or county government.If the homeowner
doesn’t have an active permit,the platform would not be able to host the STR option on their
site.
HSN Short Term Rental Regulations August 12,2024
Limit one STR per homeowner and require the homeowner to reside on premise for at least 6
months out of the calendar year.This would ensure that entire units can’t be used solely for
STRs and allow for second homes to be used in “off-season”.
By requiring the owner on premise for at least 6 months out of the year,this would prohibit the
purchase of a single family home to be used solely for investment purposes.This would also
encourage individuals with second homes to open up their units while they weren’t being used
to be a part of the STR housing stock.This would not prevent second homes from being
purchased in our community,but may incentivize homes that sit empty part-time to be
occupied more.Many of the complaints during community forums came from neighbors
where absentee STR owners weren’t present in the community where they had an investment
property and didn’t respond to complaints of noise,traffic,or health and safety issues with the
home.By requiring the homeowner to live on the same property for a portion of their time,this
will help increase dedication and accountability to their STR.
Establish term limits of five years for STR permits,allowing a more equitable approach to
those interested in short term rental opportunities.
Term limits would offer a more equitable approach to those who are interested in hosting
short term rentals on their properties.This would prevent FCFS or grandfathering of homes to
be held in perpetuity.With limitations on the number of permits,this would allow for a variety
of homeowners to open their property up to STRs for a limited time.Permits would not be
transferable at point-of-sale,which would prevent market speculation and an inflation of
home prices.Additionally,permits would become available organically over time and not be
restricted solely to groups every five years.
We would also like to note that the determination of any geographic limitations for STRs should
be designated by the DCD staff and Planning Commissioners and abide by all health and safety
standards as currently outlined in IRC building codes,applicable taxes,and other local
regulations.
HSN Short Term Rental Regulations August 12,2024