Pullman City Council will get its first look at the lengthy effort to craft proposed regulations governing a popular side hustle.
The city’s planning commission has been drafting new rules for short term rentals like Airbnb’s since August of 2023. The commission has held numerous public hearings to take public input on the idea.
Currently short term rentals in Pullman require a Conditional Use Permit which must be granted by the city’s hearing examiner. There are only a handful of legal short term rentals currently in the City of Pullman that have a CUP.
The plan from the commission creates a new system for regulating short term rentals. The proposal allows the rentals in dwellings up to a duplex in size and creates an application process. The proposed rules require a business license, emergency evacuation plan approved by the city, a lighted emergency exit sign along with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. The draft also contains occupancy limits and requires an inspection by a city building official. Legal short term rentals in Pullman would need to have an approved permit which would run annually. Any short term rental advertising in Pullman must have a permit.
Pullman City Councilmembers are set to receive a presentation from the planning commission about their proposed short term rental restrictions during their meeting Tuesday. The meeting starts at 5:30 in city hall. Council will consider making any amendments to the plan or scrap the idea and stick with the old rules.
The proposed short term rental regulations are part of a larger update to the City of Pullman’s zoning code. Council is scheduled to make a final decision on May 13th.