Short Term Rentals

Short Term Rentals & Homestay Lodging

The City of Warrenton’s purpose in regulating vacation rentals and homestay lodging is to allow for economic opportunity for local homeowners by renting underutilized bedrooms in dwellings, while preserving existing housing and rental stock for residents of the community. The license process ensures that facilities are appropriately located, meet zoning requirements, adhere to safety regulations, and do not reduce the number of potential long-term housing units.

The City of Warrenton, in concert with neighboring communities, has begun to update regulations and policies to address the growing number of short term rentals in the area and help to provide relief to housing demand. The Warrenton City Commission on January 8, 2019, approved Homestay Lodging Safety Regulations that went into effect on January 22, 2019.

Regulations

It is unlawful for any person to operate a vacation rental, homestay lodging, or bed and breakfast without first obtaining all appropriate licenses, tax forms, and planning approvals from the City of Warrenton. Listing properties as available for booking prior to approval is done at the owner’s risk and without assurance that an approval will be granted.

In accordance with Warrenton Ordinance 1224 & 1248 & 1250 a new chapter regulating the development of Homestay Lodging was added to the Warrenton Municipal Code under chapter 8 section 24.

At its January 12, 2021 meeting, the City Commission declared the grandfathering of vacation rentals in residentially zoned areas to be closed. Resolution No. 2588 was formally approved February 9, 2021. The resolution denotes a clear record of properties that have grandfather status and noted that the grandfather status does not carry over with the transfer of legal property ownership.

Definitions

Vacation Rentals

A single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling that is non-owner occupied and is rented for a term of less than 30 days, or commonly referred to as a “vacation rental”. This type of use is prohibited in all residential zones. The City of Warrenton only allows, upon approval, vacation rentals as a permitted use within commercial zones allowing hotels, motels, and other tourist accommodations.

Homestay Lodging

A short term rental in an owner-occupied single family detached dwelling, using up to five bedrooms, including bedrooms in accessory dwellings, is considered “homestay lodging”. The City of Warrenton allows homestay lodging under certain conditions within residential zones, upon approval. Such rental facilities shall not include a kitchen.

Bed and Breakfast Inn

An owner or operator-occupied dwelling where no more than five rooms are available for transient lodging and where a morning meal is provided. The City of Warrenton allows bed and breakfast occupancy under certain conditions within some residential and commercial zones, upon approval.

Owner-Occupied

To meet the owner-occupancy criterion the dwelling must be the owner's principal residence. It cannot be a second or vacation home that is only used occasionally by the owner. The intent of the code is to ensure that there is on-site management in order to avoid the common problems (noise, parking, excess occupancy, etc.) that are associated with non-owner-occupied Vacation Rentals, which are not permitted in any of the residential zones.

Is my property zoned for this use?

While homestay lodging is allowed within residential zones, vacation rentals are only allowed as permitted use within some commercially zoned areas allowing hotels, motels, and other tourist accommodations. To find out in which zone your property is located please use Clatsop County GIS webmaps, which provides a map of zoning types within the City of Warrenton.

Once your zoning type has been determined please check within the permitted uses section of the associated zoning type in the Warrenton Municipal Code, Title 16 Development Code, Division 2 Land Use Districts.

What are the steps to the Homestay Lodging Permit process?

Applicant files a Homestay Lodging application and pays the non-refundable fee of $150.
The application is reviewed by planning department for compliance with Development Code Standards.
Applicant registers with the Finance Department to pay the transient room taxes and business license fee.
Building Inspector visits the property to confirm that the Homestay Lodging unit meets Building Code and the Homestay Lodging Safety Regulations in accordance with Development Code standards.
Upon receiving a copy of the Finance Department receipt and approval from the Building Inspector, the Planning Department can approve the application and issue the permit.

What documents are required for a complete application?

The links below provide forms to be filled out by prospective business owners (owner-occupant) who would like to apply for a Homestay Lodging Permit. A complete application consists of the following:

Homestay Lodging Application & Filing Fee
Transient Room Tax (TRT) Form
Business License Form & Filing Fee
Site map & parking diagram
Copy of advertised listing(s)

Once the Homestay Lodging Permit is complete, the owner shall provide the City with the listing details for proposed advertising platforms including but not limited to Airbnb, VRBO, realtor, etc.

If you have any questions about the Transient Room Tax, please contact financedirector@ci.warrenton.or.us or 503-861-2233. If you have general questions about homestay lodging permit requirements, please contact the Building & Planning Department at 503-861-0920 or cityplanner@ci.warrenton.or.us.

Site Inspections

Homestay lodging and vacation rentals should be in substantial compliance with building codes. All new applications require an initial compliance inspection to determine all safety regulations have been met in accordance with WMC 8.24.030.

Parking Requirements

All homestay lodging, vacation rentals, and bed and breakfast inns, are required to meet the minimum off-street parking requirements set by the Warrenton Municipal Code 16.128.030. A minimum of one approved off-street parking spaces is required per guest bedroom, with parking stalls meeting minimum standards for size and orientation.

Local Contact

The owner or representative shall be available by phone, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure a response to complaints regarding emergencies and the conditions, operations, or conduct of the occupants. The 24-hour representative must be able to physically respond to the rental site within 30 minutes, and if requested they must respond.

Required Postings

All homestay lodging, vacation rentals, and bed and breakfast inns, are required to permanently display in a visible location within the dwelling the following documents: