The Rules: You must register, obtain a County business license, and pay a 10.5% combined lodging tax (which includes a 5% county portion).

The Future: Arch Cape residents have reached a boiling point. Expect the County to borrow "cap-by-zone" ideas from Tillamook or Lincoln soon.

Sesemi Pro Tip: Watch the county commission agendas like a hawk. If you're in unincorporated Clatsop, follow safety rules and pay your taxes—or risk being the "example" the county uses when they write the new rules.

The Overlay Zone: STRs are only permitted in specific blocks, generally near downtown and commercial corridors.

The Cap: Astoria has a hard cap of 30 STR permits citywide. As of late 2024, those slots are full. If you want in, welcome to the waitlist.

The Fine Print: Astoria mandates a spacing requirement (no two STRs next door to each other). You must notify neighbors and meet strict parking standards. Total tax? 11% (Clatsop's 5% + City's 6%).

Zoning vs. Caps: They don't use a numerical cap. Instead, they use a "beach vs. inland" line. Closer-in neighborhoods (zoned for vacation use) allow STRs outright; inland residential areas ban new ones to preserve local housing. Qualification is based on density and sufficient parking. 

Enforcement: Illegal rentals in no-STR zones face fines of $500+ per day.

Taxes: 10% base, plus a $2/night summer fee for tourism promotion.

“Unlimited” Permits: These are the holy grail—legacy permits allowing year-round renting. They haven't issued a new one since the 90s. They are subject to a density rule and generally expire when the property is sold.

“14-Day” Permits: This is the only real option for new owners. It allows you to rent for a maximum of once per 14 nights. 

Citing: For the truly masochistic, see Municipal Code §17.77.

The Takeaway: If you need significant rental income to offset your mortgage, Cannon Beach is not your town.

The Ban: Per Ordinance 947, new STR permits in residential zones are banned.

The Sunset: Existing licenses are grandfathered, but once they are surrendered or the property sells, they vanish. There are pockets of luxury HOA communities that permit STR usages with licenses available such as Surf Pines - as of publishing there are five licenses available. 

One License Per Owner: No "portfolio" investors allowed. One person, one license.

The One-Time Transfer: A license can transfer to a new owner exactly once at the time of sale. After that, it’s gone. This is designed to eventually reset the market.

Regional Caps: The county is now capped by zone. Areas like Pacific City and Oceanside are often at or over cap, leading to waitlists. There are several areas where there is currently no waitlist. 

Costs: Application fees are ~$750, with ~$500 annual renewals. This pays for a dedicated STR enforcement staff and a 24/7 complaint hotline.

If you are curious about a properties license transferability or whether a listing can operate as a licensed rental, contact us or county planning. 

The 17.5% Rule: STR licenses are capped at 17.5% of the housing stock (currently about 250 licenses).

The Waitlist: R-2 and R-3 zones are perpetually at cap. There are regions such that are NOT subject to a waitlist.

The Vibe: Residents are supportive only if you follow the rules. Trash left out or noise after 10 PM will result in a swift call to the city, and with a waitlist that long, the city has no problem revoking your permit.

The city used to permit STRs just about ‘anywhere’ but instituted a CAP which is currently exceeded. Therefore only actively licensed STRs are permitted to transfer to a new owner (one-time) until the quantity of STRs is below the current CAP. 

Typically the market sees roughly 10% of licensed properties come to market annually averaging a handful of licensed STRs listed monthly. 

Ordinance #523: After voters tried to ban STRs via Ballot Measure 21-203 (which was later challenged in court), the county settled on Ordinance 523.

The 2% Cap: The county is split into 7 regions. Only 2% of dwellings in each region can be STRs. This aimed to shrink total licenses from 540 down to 164.

Attrition & Lottery: As of late 2025, licenses are dropping as people sell. When a spot opens, it goes to a lottery system, not first-come-first-served.

Usage Rule: You must rent at least 30 nights a year, or the Sheriff’s Office (the licensing authority) will revoke your permit for "hoarding."

Lincoln City: Capped at ~300 citywide. Their waitlist is legendary—some owners have been waiting 5+ years. There are specific communities such as Olivia Beach - that have phases where VRD/STR usages are still permitted outright. There are also a handful of zoning codes that permit STR usages NOT subject to the CAP. Pay specific attention to parking requirements. 

Newport (Ordinance 2144): Features a 250-foot spacing buffer to prevent "STR Clusters." They also allow "Hosted" rentals (renting a room while you live there) to bypass the cap, but whole-home rentals are strictly limited with the exception of grandfathered or commercially zoned properties. 

Strict Non-Transferability: The license dies with the owner.

Usage: Must hit 30 nights/year minimum.\

On a positive, as of publishing the waitlist has been reduced significantly to under ten persons and since licenses do not transfer upon sale - the right property could be worth the wait. 

The City has been working on creating business license regulations for the operation of STRs within Florence City limits. This page includes a table of City meetings and work session on this topic, meeting materials provided at each of those meetings, and links to other City documents used to help inform work on this topic.

Keep up to date with Florence Oregon STR regulations and permit rules here.

Bandon: The "Crown Jewel." In 2022, they restricted new STRs in residential zones using a density rule (limits per block).The exception to this could be properties in county regions. 

Coos Bay/North Bend: Currently "STR-lite." You need a business license and to pay the 7% lodging tax, but there is no hard cap... yet.

Port Orford: Commercially zoned properties within city limits only otherwise the city is at CAP. 

Brookings: Has a specific zoning code requirement for STR usages outright.

Gold Beach: Effectively restricted unless outright zoned or outside of city limits. 

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