Accessory Short-Term Rental Permits (ASTR) - Read Before You Apply (2023)

There are two different application types for short-term rental permits:

• Type A accessory short-term rental permit: The resident rents no more than two bedrooms to fiveovernight guests.
• Type B accessory short-term rental permit: The resident rents between threeand fivebedrooms to overnight guests. The maximum number of guests are determined as part of the required Conditional Use Review.

Not eligible for an accessory short-term rental permit

Rental of six or more bedrooms at one time are not accessory short-term rentals. Additional commercial building code and zoning code regulations apply.

Research short-term rental permit requirements

You can get a permit for a short-term rental when the residential dwelling is mainly used for long-term occupancy. Only part of the dwelling unit can be used for short-term rental purposes. Bedrooms in legal detached accessory structures like guest houses can also be rented to overnight guests. Other rules:

• An individual or family lives on the property.
• You rent bedrooms to overnight guests for less than 30 days.
• The number of dwelling units in a multi-dwelling structure, triplex, fourplex or cottage cluster than can have an accessory short-term rental is limited to one unit, or 25% of the total number of units in the structure or on the site, whichever is greater.

Get more information inthePortland Zoning Code Section 33.207.

Buildings you can use as a short-term rental

Typical short-term rental buildings include:

• accessory dwelling units (ADU) that have been legally updated or built for sleeping purposes,
• attached duplexes,
• attached houses,
• condos,
• units in cottage cluster,
• detached accessory structures that have been legally updated or builtfor sleeping purposes,
• duplexes,
• floating homes (individual or in a moorage),
• housesand
• manufactured homes, mobile homes, and a residential trailer on its own lot or in a manufactured home park.

Running a business in a short-term rental

A home business, also known as an Accessory Home Occupation (Zoning Code Chapter 33.203), with either one nonresident employee or up to eight customers per day is prohibited on a site with an accessory short-term rental. Businesses where no employees or customers come to the site are allowed.

Services for normal maintenance, repair and care of the residence or site such as yard maintenance or house cleaning are allowed. There can be no nonresident employees on site associated with the short-term rental. For example, a private chef to cook for short-term rental guests is not allowed.

Short term rental permits business license and keeping a permit current

• You must register as a business with the City of Portland.
• There are some things you should know if the rental is in an old building.
• You must maintain your permit and keep records about your short-term rental.

Residency requirements for short term rental permits

The resident of the short-term rental must occupy the dwelling unit for at least 270 days during each calendar year—roughly nine months. There are no limits to the number of nights you may have a short-term rental. The greatestnumber of days you may be away from home and renting to overnight guests is 95—roughly three months.

A copy of an Oregon Driver’s License or Oregon Identification Card is required to confirm residency as part of the permit application. The accepted form of identification is not allowed to include a separate mailing address unless it is a P.O. Box or PMB address.

Property management and short term rental permits

The resident may choose an operator to manage their accessory short-term rental. The resident must still occupy the dwelling unit where the bedrooms are rented for at least 270 days during each calendar year.The operator must follow all regulations. The operator must also provide contact information in the neighborhood notice.

When a renter operates a short-term rental

Property owners must provide written permission for the tenant to apply for a permit. Tenants must meet all requirements that an owner who is applying for a short-term rental permit must meet.Make sure to have notarized signatures on every permit application. Include notarized signatures for the property owner (or authorized agent), resident and operator.

If the short-term rental is a condo

Please note, homeowner association approval or signatures are not required for declared condominiums. Only the listed condominium owner is required to provide owner signature authorization. Please review all applicable homeowner association bylaws or other codes, covenants and restrictions that might apply to a declared condominium.

Send out a neighborhood notice letter

The neighborhood notice lets neighbors know about the short term rental. The notice gives neighborscontact information and explains short-term rental regulations.Fill out and mail or deliver a neighborhood notice letter to neighbors. There are different notices for Type A and Type B permits. You'll send the letter to:

• all recognized organizations whose boundaries include the accessory short term rental;
• the property manager if there is one; and

• and the neighboring properties or units per the directions on the application.

You will need to include acopy of your neighborhood notification and a list of addresses notified aspart of the application process. For the name and address of your neighborhood association and district coalition office, contact the at 503-823-4519.

Smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector requirements forshort-term rentals

Thebedroom standards ofSection 33.207.040.B.4require that each bedroom to be rented to overnight guests:

1. has a smoke detector that is interconnected with a smoke detector in an adjacent hallway, common area, or in the immediate area of sleeping rooms
2. is located on a floor of a dwelling unit equipped with a functioning carbon monoxide alarm

Place carbon monoxide alarms in each bedroom or within 15 feet outside of each bedroom door. Interconnected smoke detectors may be hardwired or may function wirelessly.

Hardwired interconnected smoke detectors are required in newly constructed homes. You can install battery-operated wireless interconnectable smoke detectors.

You can find smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms at home improvement stores. Always install these devices according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Get ready for short-term rental inspections

We inspect for the following items:

1. The bedrooms were legally created as sleeping rooms
2. They meet minimum fire/life-safety requirements

3. You have installed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

We don't check the home for building code or property maintenance standards during rental inspections.Certified building inspectors will point out any imminent safety hazards. This is for the protection of occupants and overnight guests. Examples of imminent safety hazards are:

• live exposed electrical wires observed
• tripping or falling due to hazardous and non-compliant stairs leading to the bedrooms

You must address all hazards found in a rental inspectionbefore we can issue the permit. You must address all hazards before allowing the general public to use the bedrooms. The property owner must sign the application form. This signature authorizes the requested bedroom inspection.

Illegal bedrooms and other safety hazards found during inspections

Should imminent safety hazards or illegal bedrooms be found to exist in the building or on the premises, they will be cited as violations. A violation letter will be sent to the owner and occupant of the property. The property owner must correct any illegal bedrooms or safety hazards.

If the violations cited are not corrected within thirty (30) days of the date of a violation letter, the property owner may be subject to a monthly code enforcement fee until the violations are corrected and the property is re-inspected and approved by Development Services.

Operating a short-term rental without a permit or other non-compliance

If you operate a Type Aaccessory short-term rental without the required permit, you will be found in violation of Portland City Code and subject to enforcement action. Citations with civil penalties may be issued for violations of Chapter 33.207.

For more information on the citation process, please see thePermanent Rule: Accessory Short Term Rental (ASTR) Enforcement. To review citation fees, please check out the fee schedule. Also:

• A Type A accessory short-term rental permit can be revoked for failure to comply with the regulations ofChapter 33.207. When a Type A accessory short-term rental permit has been revoked, a new Type A accessory short-term rental permit will not be issued to that resident at that site for 2 years, in addition to other enforcement actions for continued non-compliance.
• If your Type B short-term rental permit isnot compliant with your Conditional Use land use review approval,you will be found in violation of Portland City Code and subject to enforcement action.Citations with civil penalties may be issued for violations of Chapter 33.207 or an approved land use review.