ORDINANCE 25-10: STR OPERATING STANDARDS FOR COASTAL RESIDENTIAL (CR) ZONE
The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners will conduct two public hearings for Ordinance 25-10: Short-Term Rental Operating Standards for Properties Zoned Coastal Residential (CR):
Board of Commissioners meetings are in-person at:
Judge Guy Boyington Building
857 Commercial Street
Astoria
Meetings may also be attended virtually. Links to the virtual meetings can be found in the meeting agendas. Agendas are typically published 7 days prior to the meeting.
SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE 25-10
Since 2003, short-term rentals in Arch Cape have been governed by their own set of operating requirements. In 2018, when Ordinance 18-01 was adopted, a separate set of operating standards were created for all other STRs outside of Arch Cape. Those new standards covered Cove Beach and other properties zoned Coastal Residential (CR).
On April 27, 2022, the Board of Commissioners adopted Ordinance 22-03, which transferred operating standards for short-term rentals from the County’s zoning code to the Clatsop County Code (CCC). A new section was created in the County Code (Chapter 5.24) to address operational requirements for STRs in Arch Cape, Cove Beach and the Coastal Residential (CR) zone. The inclusion of Cove Beach and the CR zone was made based on staff’s understanding of the direction of the Board during a work session held on January 26, 2022.
Following adoption of Ordinance 22-03, STRs in Cove Beach and the Coastal Residential zone continued to operate under the requirements of Section 5.12, CCC, instead of the standards in Section 5.24. The primary differences between the two sets of operating standards are:
- Chapter 5.24 allows on-street parking for STRs; and
- Chapter 5.24 limits STR rentals to one rental during every seven-day period. For example, if an owner rents the dwelling from Sunday, January 1 through Thursday, January 5, the owner could not rent the dwelling for January 6 and 7 to a different set of guests. Instead, the STR would need to remain vacant until January 8, when the seven-day rental period would reset.
At the May 21, 2025, work session, your board directed staff to revise the code to remove properties zoned Coastal Residential (CR) from the STR operating standards in Chapter 5.24, CCC, which would place the CR-zoned properties back under the regulations established in Chapter 5.12, CCC, which govern all other short-term rentals within unincorporated Clatsop County.
SHORT-TERM RENTAL CAPS AND APPLICATION FEE INCREASE
The Board of Commissioners directed staff on September 25 to bring forward an ordinance limiting the number of short-term rental units in unincorporated Clatsop County. Ordinance 24-19 is scheduled for two public hearings before the Board on November 13 and December 11. The Board will also consider a fee increase from $550 to $1,000 for a two-year permit. The fee increase will be considered at the January 8, 2025, Board of Commissioners meeting. All meetings are held held in-person at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial Street, Astoria. A virtual option is also provided. A link to the virtual meeting will be provided in the agenda package, which is published approximately one week prior to each meeting.
Clatsop County is accepting new and renewing short-term rental applications for unincorporated Clatsop County.
Here are four things you need to know:
- Clatsop County ordinance requires STR owners to follow the Clatsop County Good Neighbor policy and all health and safety standards. Local residents have a process to forward potential STR violations to Clatsop County Code Enforcement.
- All applicable county taxes must be paid in full.
- STR permit renewal applications may be submitted up to 60 days before the permit expires.
- New and renewing permits are issued for a two-year period.
New and renewing applications are now available. Please complete the application below and submit to comdev [at] clatsopcounty.gov (comdev[at]clatsopcounty[dot]gov).
Background
Ordinance 22-05 was approved by the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners in June 2022, allowing STRs in 16 zones in unincorporated Clatsop County. The ordinance was put on hold due to Referendum 4-221. When the May 16, 2023 election results were certified on June 8, Ordinance 22-05 went into effect. The Assessment and Taxation Department started accepting and processing STR applications on June 12, 2023.
RULE:
Clatsop County Code of Regulations 5.24.040(A) states that “A short-term rental dwelling unit shall be limited to either a minimum period of seven nights or, if for fewer than seven nights, then to no more than one rental within a seven-night period.” This rule applies to all short-term rentals in the Arch Cape Rural Community Residential (AC-RCR) zone.
EXPLANATION:
If a short-term rental reservation is seven nights or more (a “long rental”), the next rental can begin right after. If a rental period is less than seven nights (a “short rental”), the remainder of the nights in the seven-night period cannot be rented and the next rental can check in on the eighth night. The seven-night period is counted from the first night of the rental.
EXAMPLE:
In the illustration above, a reservation calendar is shown with both long and short rental reservations. The first rental is a long, seven-night rental with tenants checking in on the 4th and checking out on the 10th. Because this rental is seven nights, a new long or short rental can begin immediately after on the eighth night. The second is a short, three-night rental with tenants checking in on the 11th and checking out on the 14th. Because this rental is less than seven nights, the next four nights cannot be rented. A new rental can begin as early as the eighth night, on the 18th. Additional examples are shown about with different rental durations.