There are more than 300 short-term rentals — such as Airbnbs and Vrbos — in Vancouver. Due to zoning laws, almost all of them are illegal. Short-term rentals — defined by the city as units rented by individuals for less than 30 days — are banned in Vancouver’s residential zones unless they are bed and breakfasts. However, a city website states that “the project team believes that most existing short-term rentals do not meet this requirement.” Vancouver has mostly not enforced the law on short-term rentals, but that will soon change with proposed ordinances that would increase inspections, alter land-use regulations to allow short-term rentals and introduce a permit application process. “The city is aware that there are roughly between 250-400 short-term rentals operating in Vancouver,” according to an email from Tim Becker, strategic communications manager for the city. “The city has notified operators that this is the case but has decided not to enforce this to give staff time to develop new regulations and for operators to come into compliance with these.”

The changes would allow short-term rentals in all residential and commercial zones and require an operating permit with a $250 application fee. The permit application process would verify that the unit meets state and local health, safety and building code regulations, according to a city staff presentation. Short-term rental owners that meet a certain profit threshold would be required to register with the Washington State Department of Revenue and obtain a city of Vancouver business license. “I’ve been paying taxes to Airbnb and to the city,” said Jerrad Isch, who hosts an Airbnb unit in downtown Vancouver adjacent to his home. “And so, it seems kind of disingenuous for them to say that they’re not collecting revenue when they are.” Isch has been renting out the unit for about five years, and says that it has been a largely positive experience for him and his neighbors.

In 2017, Isch hired a general contractor to build the unit, which he said complies with all local and state codes as an Accessory Dwelling Unit. Since then, Isch estimates that he’s had a nearly 90 percent occupancy rate. “So when I come back a couple years later, when the city says ‘we need to regulate this, we should regulate that,’ I didn’t quite understand what they were worried about, other than maybe they just want more control or regulation around how long the stays are,” Isch said. Isch emphasized that he is not against a permitting process. Under the new regulations, short-term rental hosts would have to send a letter of notice to their neighbors prior to renting out the space, the city presentation said. Hosts would have to renew their permit every two years. The city would be allowed to inspect any authorized short-term rentals, though it would not be required. “Some people are maybe renting out basements that don’t have egress windows and things like that,” Isch said. “I can see, from a safety perspective, that (renewal process) probably is valid.” The city’s planning commission will hold a public hearing on April 11 on the proposed changes. The Vancouver City Council will vote on the regulations later this spring or summer, following a public comment period.