FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 30, 2024

Contact: James Dingwall

James.Dingwall@newbergoregon.gov

City of Newberg Invites Public Input on Updated Regulations for Short-Term Rentals

NEWBERG, OR – On October 28th Newberg’s City Council and Planning Commission met to kick off an update to city regulations for vacation rental homes, also referred to as short-term rentals, that are often listed online through AirBNB, VRBO, Hipcamp, and other booking platforms. During the joint public work session, city councilors and planning commissioners reviewed local permitting trends and a work plan prepared by staff to include community outreach events. Staff also presented an overview of new software called Rentalscape that the City will use to monitor vacation rental home listings.

The following public events are planned:

• Community Open House on November 20th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Newberg Public Library,

• Vacation Rental Operator Forum on December 3rd from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Newberg Public Library; and a

• Virtual Community Open House on December 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. which will be hosted online.

Meeting details are on the City’s calendar at https://www.newbergoregon.gov/calendar and

Assistant Planner James Dingwall stated that “The public participation opportunities in November and December will help residents learn about the rules we have today and the recommendations from the City’s ad hoc committee on vacation rentals, and provide recommendations of their own to ensure the regulations are a good fit for Newberg.”

According to the City’s Community Development Department, the project will continue dialogue that occurred at several public meetings with Newberg’s City Council, Planning Commission, and a Short-Term Rental Ad Hoc Committee between August 2023 and March 2024. City data from permits and transient lodging taxes indicates that up to 87 vacation rental homes are operating within the City currently. However, initial data from Rentalscape appears to show that some vacation rental homes may be operating in Newberg without any of the required permits and without paying the required transient lodging tax that other vacation rental homes, and bed and breakfasts, hotels, and motels must pay. Planning Manager Clay Downing noted that “Our new Rentalscape software puts a new tool in our toolbox. It will gather real-time information about short-term rental activities throughout the City so we can do a better job making sure that everyone plays by the same rules.” The new vacation rental monitoring software is created by

Deckard Technologies and was selected after the City conducted research and demonstrations with other technology platforms.

Maps shared by the Community Development Department show that vacation rentals are largely concentrated in the downtown business district although additional rental activity is generally distributed throughout the City’s residential areas as well.

Interested parties are encouraged to find details and access application materials at https://www.newbergoregon.gov/planning/page/dca24-0003-vacation-rental-home-regulations.

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