Portlanders aren't rushing to legitimize their Airbnb short-term rentals

short term rental irvington

A portion of this Irvington home was available for short-term rental until someone complained to the city. Permits are now available to legalize some of those short-term rentals.

(Janet Eastman/The Oregonian)

The Portland development bureau was all set to start taking applications Tuesday for newly legalized and regulated Airbnb-style rentals, but the hundreds of Portlanders operating such rentals aren't lining up to get legal.

Mike Liefeld, the bureau's enforcement manager, said there were no applications in the city's permitting system by the close of business Tuesday. Four trickled in by mail on Wednesday.

But that may change soon, Liefeld said. The city is notifying people who were following the issue that  permits are now available. Perhaps more importantly, Liefeld said, Airbnb is expected to notify its Portland users soon about the permits.

"I kind of see it ramping up slowly," Liefeld said.

Application process

"Type-A Accessory Short-Term Rental Permit" allows a Portlander to rent out one or two bedrooms in their primary residence. It applies only to single-family homes and similar structures, not to apartments and condos.

The permit costs $178.08, which covers the cost of having a city inspector stop by and check that the bedroom being rented out was built legally and meets safety requirements — including that it's equipped with interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Applicants also need to notify neighbors and their neighborhood association in writing that they intend to rent out rooms in their home.

They'll also need to apply for a business license.

Inspections may back up

Liefeld said that if the city does see a surge in applications, it could take as long as four weeks to schedule an inspection after receiving an application.

"If even 50 percent of the 1,600 (users Airbnb claims to have in Portland) come in, that is a surge," Liefeld said. "Hundreds is a surge."

In the meantime, the city will continue its complaint-based enforcement against un-permitted rentals. That starts with a notification letter and can lead to fines.

Only now, Liefeld said, instead of a cease-and-desist letter, the notification will let violators know they might be able to get a permit.

-- Elliot Njus

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