Pullman City Council is moving ahead with a review of the controversial city crackdown on short term rentals like Airbnb’s and Vrbo’s.
In May council approved a large zoning code update which included new restrictions on short term rentals in the City of Pullman. The new rules include fees, inspections, safety mandates and a required permit approved by the city to allow for legal short term rental advertising online. The new regulations went into effect June 1st.
Enforcement has also become an issue as a “complaint driven” approach that was presented by city staff turned into a larger crackdown last summer. One general complaint about other short term rentals being out of compliance led the city’s assistant planner Ariel Medeiros to send threatening letters to about 60 non-complaint operators. The letter informed the illegal short term rental owners that they face 250 dollar daily fines starting January 1st if they don’t comply with the new restrictions.
Pullman City Councilman Eric Fejeran is leading the effort to review the new regulations. The re-examination was approved by council on Tuesday night. It includes taking a second look at which types of short term rentals would fall under the new rules along with re-evaluating regulations on parking, emergency evacuation plan mandates, safety requirements, mandatory inspections, violations and enforcement policy.
The Pullman Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that city council pass the overall zoning code update with the new short term rental rules. After that vote some commissioners told Councilman Nathan Weller that they felt pressured into recommending approval. Pullman City Council approved the new restrictions with the two senior most Councilmembers Weller and Pat Wright voting no back in May. Outgoing Councilwoman Megan Guido was the lone vote against reviewing the new short term rental rules on Tuesday night.
The new regulations will be reviewed by both the planning commission and city planning staff. Some items like enforcement will be reviewed by staff because it is an administrative decision and does not fall under planning commission authority. Council will re-examine short term rentals in March. Pullman City Council will have three new members by that time.