PORT ANGELES — Applications for short-term lodging licences in the city of Port Angeles will open on Monday while enforcement of the new regulations will begin Nov. 1.
There are three main differences between the 2017 code and the updated code passed by the city council this spring.
The new code eliminates zoning as a factor in whether a licence can be issued, and there is a now a licensing and inspection standard. The city also is moving to platform-based regulation as the first step against those who don’t comply with the code. That means the city will contact the platform and ask them to remove non-compliant listings.
In addition to those requirements, only one short-term license will be allowed per owner, one per marital community and one per parcel.
That means units on the same parcel, such as duplexes, may not both be used as a short-term lodging. Additionally, married partners may not each gain a short-term lodging licence.
Shannen Cartmel, the city’s deputy director of community services, said the new code is a compromise between individuals who wanted some regulations and individuals who didn’t want any regulations.
The code differentiates between three types of short-term lodging facilities: bed and breakfasts, type one short-term rentals and type two short-term rentals.
Type one short-term rentals are rooms rented from the owner’s primary place of residence, where the owner is present in the lodging during the rental period.
Type two short-term rentals are those that are not the owner’s primary place residence. There will only be 200 type two business licenses available.
Cartmel said that restriction will likely reduce the number of type two rentals operating in the city. The city estimates there are 200 to 250 currently in operation.
The application process for all short-term lodging licenses will take place through an online portal.
To apply, operators will need a unique account number and activation code provided through the city.
The application requires the following documents:
• A site plan drawn to scale; can be hand-drawn
• A floor plan drawn to scale; can be hand-drawn
• Proof of short-term rental general liability insurance at a minimum of $1 million; an insurance company’s estimate may be used to start the application process
• Proof of property insurance
• A Washington master business license
• Proof of ownership of the short-term lodging unit
• A signed good neighbor policy, which can be printed out from the city’s website
Because there are a limited number of type two licenses, the city will offer priority to rentals that meet certain criteria. Rental units that do not meet that criteria will have to participate in a lottery process to get their licence.
Type two rentals will get priority consideration if they have been operating in compliance with the 2017 code in allowed zones for the past year. These applicants must upload proof of booking history and lodging tax history to gain priority status.
Applications must be received by Aug. 1. Applications received after that date will be placed on the city’s wait list.
For those who are not priority, the first random lottery selection will occur on Oct. 1. If licenses are available after the first lottery, a second lottery will occur on Nov. 1.
All short-term lodging must be permanent dwelling units. No recreational vehicles, campers or temporary structures will qualify for a licence.
After application, all approved short-term lodging units must obtain a fire life safety inspection.
The city will issue the first third of licenses for three years, the second third for two years and the final third for one year. All future renewals will be for three years.
Fees range from $285.30 for a one-year fee for a type one short-term rental business license and inspection to $1,426.50 for a three-year fee for a type two short-term rental or a bed and breakfast license and inspection.
Owners of short-term lodging must display their license and a copy of their signed good neighbor policy in a prominent location inside their property.
For questions, individuals may email STL@cityofpa.us.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
