5.25.030 Permit required – Renewal.
A. Permit Required. Effective on February 15, 2023, no person shall advertise or operate a short-term rental in the city without a valid annual short-term rental permit issued by the city. Renting, or offering for rent, a short-term rental without complying with the permit requirement in this section is prohibited. In addition to any other penalty imposed pursuant to the city code, any property that operates as a short-term rental and fails to apply for a short-term rental permit in accordance with this section, must cease operations immediately.
B. Permit Applications. The owner or the owner’s designee of a proposed short-term rental shall submit to the city a permit application on a form furnished by the city. The permit application shall be signed by the applicant and shall contain the following minimum information, which shall be made publicly available:
1. The physical address of the short-term rental.
2. The name and contact information of the owner (address, email address, and telephone number). If the property owner is an entity, the legal name of the entity and name and contact information (address, email address, and telephone number) of its statutory agent.
3. The name and contact information (address, email address, and telephone number) of the owner’s designee, if any. The owner shall certify that the owner’s designee is authorized to act upon the owner’s behalf.
4. The name and contact information (address, email address, and telephone number) of the emergency point of contact.
5. Proof of a valid transaction privilege tax license for the short-term rental.
6. Acknowledgment by the owner of an agreement to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances, including compliance with neighbor notification, evidence of liability insurance, and the requirement that the owner and each designee shall not be a registered sex offender.
C. Permit Fee. Every application, including any renewal application, for a short-term rental permit under this chapter shall be accompanied by payment of a nonrefundable fee prescribed in the city’s then-current consolidated fee schedule.
D. Permit Denial. The city may deny issuance of a new short-term rental permit or renewal permit for any of the following reasons:
1. Failure to provide the information required under subsection (B) of this section;
2. Failure to pay the permit fee required under subsection (C) of this section;
3. The applicant provides false information;
4. The owner or designee of the owner:
a. Is a registered sex offender;
b. Has been convicted of any felony act that resulted in death or serious physical injury; or
c. Has been convicted of any felony use of a deadly weapon within five years of submitting the application; or
5. At the time of application, the owner has a suspended permit for the same short-term rental or any of the following applies: (a) one violation at the short-term rental that resulted in or constituted any of the offenses described in SCC 5.25.110(A)(2); or (b) three violations of this chapter at a short-term rental within a 12-month period, not including an aesthetic, solid waste disposal or vehicle parking violation that is not also a serious threat to public health and safety.
E. Notice of Denial – Appeal. The city manager or designee shall give notice of the denial of an application to the applicant by emailing the notice to applicant at the email address listed on the application. The notice of the denial shall inform the applicant of the right to appeal the denial as provided for in SCC 5.25.130.
F. Maintaining Accurate Information – Violations. All applicants and persons holding permits issued pursuant to this chapter shall give prior written notice to the short-term rental specialist of any change in information submitted in connection with an application for a permit or renewal of a permit. The notice shall be provided to the short-term rental specialist within 10 days of the effective date of the change.
G. Term of Permit. All permits issued under this chapter shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of their issuance unless suspended or revoked. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a short-term rental after the expiration date recorded upon the face of the permit.
H. Nontransferable. No permit shall be transferable either as to location or as to person.
I. If the owner has received notice of violation of this chapter, any law or regulation, including disciplinary action against the permit, the application for renewal shall include a copy of the notice or disciplinary action.
J. A permit may not be renewed if there are causes for denial, suspension, revocation or other permitting sanctions as provided in this chapter.
K. Unless otherwise provided by law, the city may use any information obtained from a permit application for any lawful purpose including communicating information related to public health and safety, providing reminders regarding compliance with laws, and general city updates. [Ord. 2022-11 § 1, 11-22-2022; Res. 2022-36 Exh. A, 11-22-2022].