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Portland Short-Term Rental Rules: What Hosts Need to Know in 2026
Portland licenses short-term rentals as an accessory use. The resident must live in the unit at least 270 days a year, and only bedrooms in that resident-occupied home may be rented.
Type A covers one or two bedrooms and up to five guests. Renting three to five bedrooms requires a Type B conditional use review, which sets the final bedroom and guest count.
A permit tied to the resident, not the property
Portland’s accessory short-term rental program is built around the person who lives in the home. The resident must occupy the unit for at least 270 days each calendar year, and may be away while guests stay for no more than 95 days a year.
The permit runs two years. Each application and renewal requires a neighborhood notice, and the permit number must appear in every advertisement and be posted inside the unit.
Portland also requires a Revenue Division tax account and a short-term rental registry entry. Platforms check the registry when deciding whether a listing may stay live.
Type A, Type B, and the commercial exception
Most Portland hosts need a Type A permit. A larger rental needs a Type B conditional use, and a narrow set of commercially zoned properties falls outside the ASTR program.
Type A permit
Up to two bedrooms and five overnight guests. The permit is valid for two years and requires a neighborhood notice with each application and renewal.
Type B conditional use
Three to five bedrooms, with the final bedroom and guest count set through a Conditional Use Review. Ten guests is the maximum.
Other short-term rentals
A property whose zoning or building occupancy allows commercial transient lodging may operate outside the ASTR permit process. Confirm the exception with the city before relying on it.
Permit conditions
- The unit must be the resident’s primary residence for at least 270 days per calendar year.
- Type A permits allow up to two bedrooms and five overnight guests.
- Type B conditional uses allow three to five bedrooms and up to ten guests, with the final count set in the Conditional Use Review.
- A neighborhood notice letter is required with the application and again with each renewal.
- The permit number must appear in all advertising and be posted inside the unit; ads may not claim more bedrooms or guests than approved.
- Vacant units and units without a long-term resident are not eligible; entire-unit short-term rentals in residential zones are not allowed.
Enforcement: civil citations and permit revocation
Operating without a permit, or violating a permit condition, is a violation of Portland City Code. The city publishes a citation schedule: $1,829 for a first offense, $5,475 for a second, and $9,122 for a third or later offense.
When multiple violation types are found in one investigation, fines can reach $34,670. A Type A permit can also be revoked, and a revoked site cannot obtain a new permit for two years.
- First citation: $1,829.
- Second offense: $5,475; third and later offenses: $9,122 each, up to $34,670 for multiple violation types.
- Revocation: a revoked site cannot obtain a new permit for two years.
| Item | Penalty |
|---|---|
| First offense | First citation $1,829. |
| Repeat offenses | Second offense $5,475; third and later offenses $9,122 each, up to $34,670 when multiple violation types are cited. |
| Revocation | A Type A permit can be revoked, and a revoked site cannot obtain a new permit for two years. |
Transient lodging taxes and the nightly fee
Combined hotel occupancy tax ~16%
The combined charge is about 16%: a 6% city transient lodgings tax, a 5.5% Multnomah County tax, a 3% Tourism Improvement District fee, and a 1.5% Oregon state transient lodging tax. A $4-per-night city fee is added on top.
Airbnb, Vrbo, and other registered booking agents collect and remit these amounts on their bookings.
Hosts who use only registered platforms must register with the Revenue Division but do not file returns. Direct bookings and unregistered platforms require quarterly returns, due the last day of the month after each quarter.
- Collection
- Airbnb, Vrbo, and other registered booking agents collect and remit the taxes and fees on their bookings.
- Filing
- Hosts using only registered platforms must register with the Revenue Division but do not file returns; direct bookings and unregistered platforms require quarterly returns.
Ranges vary — verify. Quarterly returns are due the last day of the month after each quarter; the $4 nightly fee applies to hosts and booking agents.
Operating rules quick list
- Smoke and CO alarms
- Interconnected smoke detectors in rented bedrooms and functioning carbon monoxide alarms on each floor.
- Events
- Commercial meetings, parties, weddings, and fundraisers are prohibited.
- Employees
- No non-resident employees may work on site for the short-term rental.
- Records
- Keep guest names, home addresses, stay dates, and guest counts, and provide them to city officials on request.
- Time away
- The resident may be away and still rent for up to 95 days per calendar year.
Permit notes
- Local contact
- The resident or designated operator must be identified in the neighborhood notice with contact information.
Compare Portland with other STR markets
Portland treats short-term rentals as a resident-operated accessory use, with a bedroom cap and a neighborhood notice. Other markets issue a single citywide permit, cap license numbers, or rely on state preemption rather than a primary-residence test.
Phoenix
Arizona
Allowed citywide with permit (state law bars city bans — host-friendly)
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Phoenix rules →Scottsdale
Arizona
Licensed; Arizona law preempts local bans and occupancy caps
Moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Scottsdale rules →Sedona
Arizona
Permit required; Arizona law sets the regulatory floor
Moderate enforcement
New license $210
Last verified
View Sedona rules →Los Angeles
California
Allowed in the host’s primary residence with registration; 120-night annual cap unless extended
High enforcement
New license $441
Last verified
View Los Angeles rules →Palm Springs
California
Allowed in single-family homes with an annual certificate; new certificates capped at 20% per organized neighborhood
High enforcement
New license — Vacation Rental $1,046
Last verified
View Palm Springs rules →San Diego
California
Licensed by tier; whole-home licenses are capped by ordinance
High enforcement
New license — Tier 1 — Part-Time $193
Last verified
View San Diego rules →San Francisco
California
Allowed only in the host’s permanent residence with registration; un-hosted stays capped at 90 nights per year
High enforcement
New license $925
Last verified
View San Francisco rules →Santa Monica
California
Home-sharing only in the host’s primary residence; un-hosted vacation rentals are unlawful
High enforcement
New license $582.25
Last verified
View Santa Monica rules →Denver
Colorado
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Denver rules →Washington
District of Columbia
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $99
Last verified
View Washington rules →Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Licensed and inspected; annual Certificate of Compliance required
High enforcement
New license — Certificate of Compliance $880
Last verified
View Fort Lauderdale rules →Miami
Florida
Licensed and enforced; city and county requirements run in parallel
High enforcement
Last verified
View Miami rules →Orlando
Florida
Owner-occupied home sharing; whole-home rentals are limited by zoning
Moderate enforcement
New license — Home Sharing Registration $275
Last verified
View Orlando rules →Tampa
Florida
State-licensed; city rental registration repealed in 2023
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $230
Last verified
View Tampa rules →Atlanta
Georgia
Licensed, primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Atlanta rules →Savannah
Georgia
Certified STVR, overlay district only, per-ward cap
High enforcement
New license $400
Last verified
View Savannah rules →Chicago
Illinois
Registered shared housing unit (31 days or fewer)
High enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Chicago rules →New Orleans
Louisiana
Licensed, capped, and lottery-based
High enforcement
New license — NSTR owner permit $500
Last verified
View New Orleans rules →Boston
Massachusetts
Registered, owner-occupied primary residence only
High enforcement
New license — Limited Share $25
Last verified
View Boston rules →Las Vegas
Nevada
Licensed; owner-occupied homes only (city limits)
High enforcement
New license $500
Last verified
View Las Vegas rules →New York
New York
Legal only in a registered primary residence (hosted stays)
High enforcement
New license $145
Last verified
View New York rules →Charleston
South Carolina
Licensed, primary residence only (commercial STRs only in the overlay district)
High enforcement
New license $345
Last verified
View Charleston rules →Nashville
Tennessee
Allowed with permit; heavy zoning restrictions on investor units
High enforcement
New license $313
Last verified
View Nashville rules →Austin
Texas
Licensed & enforced
High enforcement
New license $736.60
Last verified
View Austin rules →Seattle
Washington
Licensed; up to two units per operator
High enforcement
New license $75
Last verified
View Seattle rules →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to rent a room short-term in Portland?
Yes. You need a Type A ASTR permit for one or two bedrooms, or a Type B conditional use for three to five bedrooms. The home must be your primary residence for at least 270 days a year.
Can I rent an entire Portland home that I do not live in?
No. Vacant units and units without a long-term resident are not eligible, and entire-unit short-term rentals in residential zones are not allowed.
What taxes apply to a Portland short-term rental?
The combined charge is about 16%: a 6% city tax, a 5.5% Multnomah County tax, a 3% Tourism Improvement District fee, and a 1.5% state tax. A $4-per-night city fee also applies.
Official sources and cross-checks
Sources with links
- City of Portland — Accessory Short-Term Rental (ASTR) Permits portland.gov
- City of Portland Revenue Division — Transient Lodgings Filing and Payment portland.gov
- City of Portland — Maintaining ASTR Permits and Conditional Uses portland.gov
- ORS 320.305 — Statewide Transient Lodging Tax Rate oregon.public.law