EDITOR’S NOTE: Tillamook County Board of Commissioners will be putting a measure on the May ballot to increase the Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) in unincorporated Tillamook County from 10% to 15%. There will be town hall meetings for Short-Term Rental (STR) owners and operators (January 16 at 5:30pm, and January 18 at 10 am at the Port of Tillamook Bay board room; virtual options available.). Those will be followed by Public Hearings (Jan 29 and Feb 12).
Short-Term Rentals (STRs) are a vital part of the Oregon Coast tourism landscape. Like the Transient Lodging Tax, they are subject to a lot of misinformation. As the Regional Destination Management Organization for the Oregon Coast, we’re invested in making sure that our communities are healthy and sustainable long term– both for visitors and for locals. STRs play an important role in the economic landscape that make this place thrive, so let’s tackle some of the most common misconceptions head-on, with facts about STRs.
Fact: On the Oregon Coast, 93% of short-term rentals are owned by individual owners who manage just that one vacation home, usually their family retreat that they open up to share with visitors. For many, STRs offer a way to afford a future retirement home or a modest income from a second home while still contributing valuable tourism dollars to the community.
Myth #2: “STRs are driving up housing costs and reducing workforce housing availability.”…