There are several different types of short term rentals, each with their own set of rules and regulations. This guide outlines each type: Type Designations Guide PDF.

For Type II applications: There must be at least 500 feet of separation between properties permitted as whole-house short-term rentals. This 500-foot separation is measured radially from your property boundary and includes all properties wholly or partially within that radius. If any property within 500 feet of your property is an approved whole-house short-term rental, your property cannot be approved as a new whole-house short-term rental.

A separate permit is required for each, even if they are on the same legal lot.

The Short Term Rental Permit (for applications filed after April 15, 2015) is issued to you as the owner and does not transfer with the property. When you sell or transfer your property, the land use approval will be voided.

Note: once a property with multiple Short term Rentals is sold, any future Short term Rental request is limited to one unit, per Bend Development Code 3.6.500 A.2. If the buyer wants to use the property as a short term rental, they must apply for a new Short term Rental land use permit and, if approved, a new Operating License. See Bend Development Code 3.6.500.F for more details.

For approved Vacation Home Rental permit applications submitted on or before April 15, 2015, the land use approval runs with the land (i.e. the home still has land use approval to be used as a vacation rental). Legal non-conforming uses documented by the City with a letter may also continue after a sale or transfer to a new owner. The operating license, however, is issued to the property owner and is not transferable. If the property is sold, the new owner has 60 days from the closing date to file for a new operating license.

In order to maintain your Short Term Rental Land Use permit, two conditions must be met:

1. You must use the property as a short term rental every 12 months. This is verified annually by providing proof of use documentation with your operating license renewal. You may also use the long-term rental exemption.
2. You must obtain and maintain an annual Short Term Rental Operating License.

If you use your property as a short-term rental for 30 days or more in a 12-month period, you must submit Room Tax, which serves as the primary proof of use. If you rent your property for fewer than 30 days in a 12-month period, you will need to provide alternative documentation of proof of use, such as a rental receipt or a rental contract.

All short term rentals—except those with an infrequent use permit—must pay a room tax of 10.4% of the gross revenue received for short term rental activity.

Depending on the amount of revenue you receive from your short term rental property, you will need to submit room tax reports and the taxes themselves on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Yes, all land use permits are required to have an active short-term rental operating license. This includes whole house rentals, owner-occupied room rentals, and whole house infrequent rentals.

If you want to operate a short term rental, here are the fees you need to pay:

• Land Use Permit Fee:
  • Type I: $1,314.53 per application + 4% Long Range Planning Surcharge*
  • Type II: $3,657.44 per application + 4% Long Range Planning Surcharge*
• Initial Operating License Fee: $350
• Operating License Renewal Fee: $255 annually
• Annual Transportation Fee: $200 for a regular "whole house" short term rental and $108 for all others
• Room Tax: 10.4% of gross sales

*The 4% surcharge is used to fund the City’s Long Range Planning program.

Late Application Fee: $55 (if you submit your application after the 60-day window) 

Refund/Withdraw of Short term Rental Application: Up to 75% of the application fee is refundable, depending on when the application is withdrawn during the application process.

Appeal of Short term Rental Operating License Decision: $200.00 per appeal

If you have a Vacation Home Rental permit from before April 15, 2015, you can keep using it if you:

1. Rent out the property at least once every 12 months.
2. Maintain an annual operating license. If you sell the property, the new owner has 60 days from the date of closing to file for a new license.
3. Don’t expand the rental space bigger than it was on April 15, 2015.

Yes, if your permit was approved before April 15, 2015, it runs with the land (i.e. stays with the property). The new owner must get a new operating license within 60 days of buying the property.

For permits approved after April 15, 2015, the permit is tied to the owner and becomes void if the property is sold.

All short term rental operators must collect and remit Room Tax as proof of use.

If you have a Type-I Infrequent Use Permit, you must provide alternative documentation, such as a rental receipt or contract.

100% Refund Eligibility

• Applications that are submitted in error.
• Customer submitted a different application than what they meant to (e.g., Special Event Permit vs. State Liquor License Endorsement).
• Customer applied for a record they don’t need for their business operations (e.g., Uber driver applying for a Vehicle for Hire Operating License).
• Customers trying to renew existing records, but they submit a new application by mistake.
   In this instance, request a transfer of the fees paid to cover the existing renewal fee and that the remaining amount be refunded to the applicant.

75% Refund Eligibility

•  Applications withdrawn before the application has been completed.
• Staff process the application for completion, deem it incomplete and send notice to the applicant. If instead of completing the application, the applicant withdraws their applicant, then they will be refunded 75% of the fees paid.

 50% Refund Eligibility

• Applications are withdrawn before staff reviews are completed.
• Application has been deemed complete and staff reviews have begun. However, the applicant withdraws the application before staff reviews have been completed. They will be refunded 50% of the fees paid.

 25% Refund Eligibility

•  Applications are withdrawn after staff reviews have been completed. Staff reviews have been completed and some require revisions before they approve the application for record issuance. A notice of required revisions is sent to the applicant, but instead of submitted revisions, they withdraw their application. They will be refunded 25% of the fees paid.

0% Refund

•  Applications are withdrawn after staff reviews have been completed and the record is ready for issuance or has already been issued. Staff reviews are completed in “approved” statuses and the record is ready to be issued or the record has already been issued. In this instance, there will be no refund of fees paid.

Transportation Fees

• If the STR license has been issued, the transportation fee is nonrefundable.
• If the STR license has not been issued, the transportation fee is 100% refundable.

  Requests for the transportation fee refunds should be made separately from requests for licensing fee refunds.