Short Term Rentals / Airbnb

The first step in applying for a short-term rental, or Airbnb, is to work with the planning department, who can check to make sure you’re on the correct path for its intended use. More information can be found at www.milwaukieoregon.gov/planning/short-term-rentals.

The next steps are to apply for a business license at www.milwaukieoregon.gov/finance/business-registration-1 and a building permit.

The building permit is just a regular building/structural permit application. Complete the application (link below) and email it to building@milwaukieoregon.gov.  Once you have a permit number, you can upload digital .pdf plans through the online system.

What’s Needed?

A floor plan showing the rental space area (what areas the the renters will have access to)
Window types (how do they open) and sizes (openable area) in the sleeping areas/bedrooms
Location of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors if the house is equipped with natural gas.

Review times vary depending on our workload, but a typical review is roughly 4 weeks. Once plans have been reviewed, you’ll receive an email with corrections, questions or a response saying the permit is “Ready to Issue.” After the permit is ready to issue, the fees can be paid for online. Afterwards, the permit should arrive by email within 24 hours (typically same day on weekdays).

Now that you have your permit, you can request an inspection (please see the “Request an Inspection” page).  The inspection type you will want to request is a final inspection.  Staff will inspect the project and sign off to approve/close the permit.  When the permit is closed, the business license is issued and you can start renting.