Bend City Council discusses short-term rentals

The Bend City Council discussed the city's short-term rental program during Wednesday night's meeting.

Staff say about 2 percent of homes in the city are used for short-term rentals, a number that hasn't changed much in recent years. A survey of permit-holfound that 41 percent live at their short-term rental property.

Licensing Program Manager Lorelei Williams says required 250-foot buffers between new short-term rentals have led to a flattening in the number of new city permits for them.

City councilors suggested looking at possibly larger buffers, if that would help reduce neighbor complaints and preserve a balance with long-term residents. They also are looking at more audits to find property owners who advertise short-term rentals without the required permits, and whether some might be convinced to also have longer-term rentals to help ease the housing crunch for city workers and others.