ABOUT US
FAMILIES WHO SHARE THEIR HOMES AS STRs IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY
OREGON COAST HOSTS
Oregon Coast Hosts is an alliance of homeowners & local businesses who support tourism while advocating for a balanced perspective that meets mutual goals for the greater community. Tillamook County has deep roots in tourism, and short-term rentals are a vital part of our local economy. Our guests support local businesses, and our owners engage a vast number of service providers who live locally in our community, and along the coast. Tillamook County doesn’t merely welcome visitors, it relies on visitors and their support.
We all love Tillamook County, and advocate for our community members to be good neighbors, whether they rent, have family visit, or enjoy their home exclusively themselves. We believe that fine-tuning of the current rules combined with enhanced enforcement is an ideal and balanced solution. We are advocating for regulations that are evidence based and intended to solve any problems directly attributed to short-term rentals.
Tillamook County's beauty, attractions, and welcoming residents have been drawing visitors for over a century. In 2021, travel and hospitality employed over 2,000 people in the county (14% of all jobs) and added $203 million to Tillamook County's economy - an amount that has nearly doubled over the last two decades. Short-term rental homes account for approximately 70% of lodging in Tillamook County, and in some popular coastal areas STRs are the only available option for overnight visitors.
A thriving STR industry is key to the travel and hospitality sector in Tillamook. STR owners make a significant contribution to our local economy, hiring local businesses and workers to provide maintenance, cleaning, landscaping, and other upkeep services. Many STR owners boost local merchants, whether it is buying local coffee to provide to guests or encouraging visitors to shop and patronize local establishments. They are a critical part of how Tillamook competes against the tourist destination communities in counties to the north & south. If people can't find local accommodations, they will look to stay in Clatstop or Lincoln County - taking their vacation dollars with them.
Most STR owners have a strong connection to Tillamook County. They chose to buy and maintain a home here because they know what a special place it is and want to return again and again. For some, STRs help them keep up the home they plan to retire to someday. Others use rentals to preserve the ability to pass these homes on to their descendants and maintain their family's connection to the community. They care about the future of Tillamook County and want to find a fair approach to STRs that works for everyone.
Oregon Coast Hosts supports a balanced approach that provides for the county’s future and those who love to live and visit here. We are a coalition of homeowners, local businesses, and workers committed to ensuring a vibrant vacation rental industry that supports healthy, livable communities. We support the development by the county of balanced, data-driven, and durable policies that ensure the responsible growth of STRs.
Tillamook has a long history of welcoming visitors and serving as a gateway to the Oregon Coast. That has always required looking for how to support vacationers without disrupting our communities or other industries. Oregon Coast Hosts knows that with respect and thoughtfulness we can find answers that work for everyone.
Oregon Coast Hosts is a 501c4 advocacy group. We are board run and have supporters throughout Tillamook County & beyond. If you'd like to get in touch please reach out via email to OregonCoastHosts@gmail.com - Thank you! Hillary, Nicole, Shelia, Susan & Rob
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
• Adopt evidence-based & balanced regulations, backed by enforcement
• Allow current STR permit holders to maintain permits - Do not replace with "Licenses"
• Preserve transfer rights for current STR permit holders as required by state law
• If a growth management cap is created, then consider allowing 2% annual STR increase per community with review after 3 years
CORE PRINCIPLES
•The regulation of short-term rental housing should be grounded in objective data and evidence, complementing how all forms of housing are regulated in the County
•Prior to adding new regulations, the County should identify whether challenges can be addressed through better enforcement of existing regulations
•New regulations must recognize the legal rights of existing STR permit holders to avoid costly litigation or divisive fights at the ballot box
•Policies to manage the growth of short-term rentals must be grounded in data and fairness with the ability to regularly revisit whether they are producing the desired outcomes
WAYS WE HELP
STR ADVOCACY
We promote community engagement by networking and communicating with local homeowners and local tourism based businesses.
BEST PRACTICES
We endorse "Hello, Neighbor!" and best practices for STR management. Our goal is to prevent problems from happening in the first place, and remediate quickly if needed.
FACTS & DATA
We collect and share facts and data in an effort to dispel misconceptions resulting from rhetoric and anecdotal experiences.
ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT
We support enforcement of the current rules before adding new regulatory rules. In light of the low number of actual violations and the high percentage of STRs that have never received a complaint, we do not support penalizing all STRs with additional regulations. Enforcement needs to be the responsibility of the county, and not fall on the shoulders of our neighbors.
PERMIT TRANSFERABILITY
We support continued transferability of current STR permits. All current STR permits are tied to land use and intended to continue to follow the land through sales and owners, unless an owner chooses to close the permit or it is revoked for violations. A grace period of any length or an allowed number of transfers does not offset this taking of transferability.
NO ARBITRARY LIMITS
In general, we do not support arbitrary limits. No limits on annual number of nights per year able to rent, no proximity nor distance limits, and no flat cap on maximum occupancy. No limit on STRs on adjacent properties. All STR permits currently have occupancy and parking limits established.
