Council presses for proof of short‑term rental income at renewals amid collection gaps

Council and staff discussed enforcement of the city’s 5% short‑term rental fee and whether to require owners to submit annual summaries to verify monthly payments. Staff said property managers like Vacasa generally remit the city share reliably, but individual owners who manage rentals themselves are harder to track and may not report monthly collections.

Mayor/Chair (speaker 1) said the ordinance already requires the 5% fee and proposed that at renewal staff request documentation showing rental activity for the prior year so the city can confirm payments. Councilmembers agreed the state’s reporting practices can be inconsistent and discussed working to reconcile state reports with city records; no new ordinance was adopted at the meeting, but staff were directed to implement a renewal‑time documentation check and notify applicants of the requirement.