Short-term rentals (STRs) like Vrbo and Airbnb have grown in popularity in recent decades, and can pose challenges for communities. A community functions best when everyone is invested in and engaged with it, and short-term renters are inevitably less engaged. To make that point clear, imagine a community that consists only of short-term renters – would we even call that a community? Who would volunteer where needed? Who would join vital committees and civic groups?
We in Mosier recognize that our neck of the woods is eminently worth visiting, and that STR income can make it possible for people to afford living here. So we took the time to research, deliberate, and weigh the needs of all stakeholders, and arrived at the policies detailed here.
Guiding Principles
STRs and the well-being of the community should have a positive reciprocal relationship:
- A vibrant, healthy community draws visitors to Mosier which supports local STRs.
- STRs should provide benefit to the local community.
Some of the economic incentives of STRs include:
- Increasing the feasibility of home ownership for full-time residents
- Support for local businesses
- Financial support for the broader Mosier community (i.e. all Mosier residents and the City of Mosier)
Maintaining the high quality of life for the Mosier community is a priority. Aspects of our community that we want to preserve include:
- The genuine “small town” culture
- Knowing our neighbors; neighborhoods that primarily consist of full-time residents.
- The quiet, peaceful, and slow pace of life
- Affordable housing that supports a diverse community.
- Safe streets and low traffic
Definitions
Short-Term Rental or STR – a house, duplex, multi-plex, apartment, condominium, houseboat, trailer, or other residential dwelling unit where guest bedrooms or the entire residential dwelling unit may be rented for transient occupancy. A short-term rental is either a “vacation home rental” or a “hosted homeshare.”
Hosted Homeshare – a STR operating on the same property where the Owner maintains the Owner’s primary residence. A hosted homeshare may be a portion of the Owner’s primary residence or attached to the Owner’s primary residence; or it may be a dwelling unit that is detached from the Owner’s primary residence, such as a detached accessory dwelling unit. Hosted Homeshares require an STR license, which is good for two years, but the City does not limit the number of them.
Vacation Home Rental – a short-term rental on a property that is not the Owner’s primary residence. Vacation Home Rental licenses are capped by neighborhood to ensure that no part of Mosier is disproportionately affected by them.
Note that while these licenses last two years, each time a license is up for renewal, it is again subject to the neighborhood cap. If, at the time you submit a renewal application, the number of pending license applications would result in exceeding the cap, a lottery will be conducted for all the pending applications – new and renewal – to determine which applications are processed.
