Okanogan County is proposing new regulations for nightly rentals, with specific conditions in the Methow Valley that limit a property owner to one nightly rental and prohibit the use of mobile and manufactured homes as nightly rentals.
All nightly rentals in the county would be required to obtain a state business number (Unified Business Identifier, or UBI) for tax purposes.
The updates to the county code would also require all nightly rentals to have a permit from Okanogan County Planning and a health and safety permit from Okanogan County Public Health.
Approximately 16 nightly rentals, all in the Methow Valley, that have been in operation since before September 2005 are considered legally pre-existing and would be exempt from the new conditions, with the exception of the licensing requirements with Planning, Public Health, and the state.
The proposed changes would eliminate the so-called amortization period for those 16 properties to come into compliance by Jan. 1, 2021.
Nightly rentals in the Methow Valley that are part of a planned development would be exempt from the new requirements if permitted as part of the development.
Other regulations include:
• Property owners with a nightly rental in a second residence on the same parcel must live in the primary dwelling.
• A nightly rental would not be permitted to serve more than 10 individuals at a time.
• Nightly rentals must retain the appearance of a single-family home.
• Permits would not be automatically transferrable as part of the sale of property.
Violations of the code would be a misdemeanor.
The new regulations incorporate health and safety rules adopted last month for overnight transient accommodations, which require approval from the county Planning Department and Building Department along with Public Health.
The Okanogan County commissioners are holding a public hearing on the proposed changes on Monday (March 19) at 1:30 p.m. in their auditorium in Okanogan. People can provide up to five minutes of verbal testimony at the hearing, or can submit written comments at the hearing or in advance to Laleña Johns at ljohns@co.okanogan.wa.us.
Documents are on the Planning Department website at ww.okanogancounty.org/planning. For more information, contact Planning Director Perry Huston at phuston@co.okanogan.wa.us.
