Overview
Washoe County is in the process of establishing standards for short term rentals in the unincorporated County (outside of Reno and Sparks).
2019
During summer 2019, the first phase of public outreach was completed, including three public workshops, a series of stakeholder meetings and an online survey. That input was used to draft approaches for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners (Board), who provided direction on those recommendations in November 2019. Draft code language reflecting public input and Board direction was then made available for public comment through mid-December.
2020
Updated draft code language was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on Jan. 7, 2020. The draft ordinance was reviewed by the Board Feb. 25, 2020, where they directed staff to make additional changes.
2021
Changes recommended in 2020 were incorporated into an updated draft that was presented to the Board February 23, 2021, for an introduction and first reading. The Board chose to move the forward with the ordinance for a second reading and possible adoption scheduled on March 23, 2021. After public comments and changes recommended by the Board were acknowledged, the Board voted 4 to 1 to adopt the ordinances. Staff was directed staff to move forward with the STR permitting process which is scheuled to be available to the public on May 1, 2021.
All Board meetings were held virtually via ZOOM. Information regarding these meetins is available through the Board of County Commission's Meetings website.
What is a short term rental?
Short-term rentals are generally operated out of private residences such as homes, apartments and condos. They are commonly made available through property management companies and online booking services such as Airbnb and VRBO. They are also commonly called vacation rentals, and are generally booked for fewer than 28 days.
What does the County want to achieve?
Washoe County intends to establish simple, fair and enforceable standards for short term rentals that balance competing interests and maximize voluntary compliance.