When dealing with any bureaucracy, an abundance of paperwork is a given. This is definitely the case when coming into compliance with Portland’s Accessory Short-Term Rental (ASTR) requirements. Luckily, the City of Portland created the Type A ASTR Permit Application Checklist, an excellent tool for making sure you remember to cross all your t’s and dot your i’s. It will remind you to submit:
- a copy of the neighborhood notice mailed to interested parties
- the actual permit application
- a check for fee payment
- a copy of your Oregon Driver’s License or ID card to confirm residency at the location being permitted. Even a grainy photocopy of the document will suffice.
Neighborhood Association & District Coalition
The first step is to identify who must receive notice of your Airbnb property. First, any Neighborhood Association of which your property is a part of must receive notice as well as their District Coalition of Neighborhoods. To find out which neighborhood association you are a part of check out this map, and to determine the larger district coalition name, find the boundary maps here . Each of these must receive a copy of the neighborhood notice, even if they are managed in the same location.
Howdy, Neighbors
Next, determine the addresses of all property owners who have property that abuts or is directly across the street from your listing. Consider neighbors diagonally situated and if unsure, include them in your notices anyway. If located on a corner, make sure all potentially impacted properties across both streets have been notified. The Neighborhood Notice should include a brief description of the ASTR with number of bedrooms rented, parking guidelines, and any other information neighbors might find useful.
Submit!
A copy of the Neighborhood Notice must be included with the Permit Application along with the actual addresses the notice was sent to in order to ensure compliance with regulations. This Permit Application requests basic location and operating information along with specifics about the rentable spaces themselves including average length of rentals, check-in and out requirements, parking guidelines, and quiet hours observed.
Once your interconnected smoke detectors are installed, Neighborhood Notices are sent out, and Permit Application is complete with copy of Oregon ID, send payment to the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) for an Inspection Verification fee of $178.08.
Inspection Time
You will receive a call from a friendly City of Portland, BDS inspector who will verify that you have met the minimum requirements outlined above and are prepared for inspection. You’ll agree on a mutual time on a day when the space is not occupied or in the case of long-term rentals, when you can provide your guests with at least 48 hours notice of your need to enter the unit. This would also be a great time to ask the inspector if there are any particulars for which s/he may be looking.
When the inspector arrives, it should be a quick and painless process. They will verify the interconnected nature of the alarms, location of carbon monoxide detectors, and that windows in the bedrooms open and remain open long enough for a person to evacuate in the case of a fire or in-home emergency. Our own entire inspection process took less than 15 minutes and was surprisingly easy.
Want help through the permitting process? Rely confidently upon our advice to make your BDS inspection pain-free, too! Contact us today.
