Application for New Short-Term Rentals in Chelan Co. Approaching

The annual application period for certain new short-term rental operations in Chelan County is approaching.

The County will begin accepting new applications on June 1, but Chelan County Commissioner Shon Smith says current short-term license holders need to be aware of other critical dates as well.

"We need to remind those who are currently permitted for operations of a short-term rental in Chelan County that their renewals are September 1 through October 31. Even though their license expires December 31, that renewal period is a few months earlier."

The county has three tier classifications for short-term rentals, two of which (Tiers 2 & 3) are already over its established limits and will not be open for new applicants.

New applications for Tier 1 properties, which include those with a maximum occupancy of eight people where rooms are rented and the owner is personally present during rental periods, or those that are located within the same parcel as the owner’s primary residence and the owner is personally present during rental periods, will be considered.

Smith says the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee areas have less space for new short-term rental applications than any other area of the county.

"Up in the 98826 zip code it's completely saturated for Tier 2 and Tier 3 qualifiers. The Tier 1 is still open there because those are owner-occupied properties with capacities of no more than eight people like small bed and breakfast outfits. So those don't have caps. But in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 which have 12 and 16 person capacities, those are both already over our maximum cap."

The County defines Tier 2 short-term rentals as those which are not owner-occupied with a maximum occupancy of 12 people, while Tier 3's are classified as being either non-owner or owner-occupied with a maximum occupancy of 16.

More information about short-term rental regulations in Chelan County is available by clicking here.