Sisters creating regulations for short-term rentals

Sisters is taking a look at how it wants to regulate vacation rentals in the city, and that’s a cause for concern for some rental agencies.

Right now, according to the city, there are 67 total vacation rental properties. With the new regulations, the city’s looking to cap the number allowed at 104.

Mathew Tesdall, the owner of Sisters Vacation Rentals, which operates nine properties in the city, said Wednesday he’s concerned about the impact these regulations could have on the economy as a whole.

“You have a city that has done a great job putting together events and bringing people into town,” Tesdall said. “They’ve worked really hard at this, and have done a fantastic job, and now with that success they are looking at limiting the number of homes that people can stay in which is going to impact local businesses. Not only our business, but businesses up and down main street.”

City Manager Brant Kucera said he wants to make sure that Sisters is able to keep its hometown feel.

He said many people who live in the area have expressed concern about short-term rentals taking over their neighborhoods.

And while tourism is a big part of the city’s economy, Kucera said that with the growth of the city, the economy has evolved into more than just that.

“It’s just a difficult situation. We are dependent on tourism to a certain extent, but one of the reasons that we are a popular community is that it has a small-town, hometown feel,” Kucera said. “And that is something that you could lose if you become simply dependent on tourism.”

Tesdall said he does like that one part of the new regulations would help to hold vacation rental operators accountable.

“Part of the proposed regulation is you have to use it in a year’s period of time, or you lose it,” Tesdall said. “Which I do like this part of this proposed regulation, because without that, it would allow for people just to go get a permit to do short-term rentals, and then never use it.”

According to the city, by making sure people use the permit they applied for, they will be able to make sure the properties are actually being used for that purpose.

The city council was taking a look at the proposal at a work session Wednesday evening. If it passes muster, the proposal would be up for a June 27 vote by councilors and could take effect 30 days later.