Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in Portland, OR (2026)

Portland, OR allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental Permit (Type A or Type B)) before listing their property. Portland regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for Portland.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental Permit (Type A or Type B). Registration fee: $178. Annual renewal: $94 annually. Register through the Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS) or Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS). Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in Portland: 1. Short-term rental (less than 30 consecutive days) requires Portland STR permit 2. Type A: Host must reside on the property (owner or long-term renter); entire dwelling rentable when host is away 3. Type B: Host does not need to reside on-site; limited to renting accessory dwelling unit or portion of dwelling 4. Primary residence requirement: property must be host's primary residence for Type A 5. Annual renewal required; permit non-transferable 6. Must display Portland permit number on all listing platforms 7. Platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) must verify permit numbers — City of Portland has enforcement agreements with major platforms 8. Maximum occupancy: 2 adults per bedroom 9. Must maintain liability insurance of at least $500,000

• •Short-term rental (less than 30 consecutive days) requires Portland STR permit
• •Type A: Host must reside on the property (owner or long-term renter); entire dwelling rentable when host is away
• •Type B: Host does not need to reside on-site; limited to renting accessory dwelling unit or portion of dwelling
• •Primary residence requirement: property must be host's primary residence for Type A
• •Annual renewal required; permit non-transferable
• •Must display Portland permit number on all listing platforms
• •Platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) must verify permit numbers — City of Portland has enforcement agreements with major platforms
• •Maximum occupancy: 2 adults per bedroom
• •Must maintain liability insurance of at least $500,000

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in Portland: Airbnb: Airbnb collects and remits Portland Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) on behalf of hosts — currently 11.5% total (6% state + 5.5% city) VRBO: Host may be responsible for TLT remittance if not collected by platform — verify with Portland Revenue Division Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in Portland: $500 fine per day for operating without a valid STR permit; $1,000 fine per day for operating a non-compliant STR after notice; Permit revocation for repeat violations; Platforms fined for listing unpermitted units. Portland has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$500 fine per day for operating without a valid STR permit
• ⚠$1,000 fine per day for operating a non-compliant STR after notice
• ⚠Permit revocation for repeat violations
• ⚠Platforms fined for listing unpermitted units

Frequently Asked Questions