Is short-term rental legal in Portland, OR?
Portland permits accessory STRs in two types: Type A (host present, up to 2 bedrooms) by permit, and Type B (up to 5 bedrooms / more nights) by conditional-use review. The dwelling must be the host's primary residence in both.
Rules checked October 2026
Run the Portland verdict on your facts
| What counts as a short-term rental | Portland permits accessory STRs in two types: Type A (host present, up to 2 bedrooms) by permit, and Type B (up to 5 bedrooms / more nights) by conditional-use review. The dwelling must be the host's primary residence in both. |
|---|---|
| Permit / license | Accessory STR Permit — Type A or Type B — issued by Portland Permits (BDS) |
| Fee | Type A permit runs several hundred dollars (about $475 on the current schedule) |
| Renewal | Type A renews every 2 years with a nights log |
| Primary-residence rule | Primary residence — the host must live in the unit at least 270 days a year for Type A. |
| Whole-home rental | Type A allows renting while away up to 90 nights a year; hosted stays are freer. Type B raises the room count and nights through land-use review. |
| Night cap | 90 nights/year (unhosted) |
| Guests / occupancy | Type A: up to 2 bedrooms rented; Type B: up to 5 |
| Minimum stay | None |
| Zoning | The permit is accessory to residential use — it attaches to your home, not to investment property. |
| Density / scarcity | No density cap found in the current rules |
| Fines | Operating without the permit draws city fines and permit revocation; Portland requires hosts to keep and show a nights log |
| Taxes | City + county lodging taxes: hosts register for the city TOT even when platforms collect. |
| Platform duties | Permit numbers must appear in listings. |
| State layer | No state preemption. Portland permits by type; Bend and the coast towns run density caps; some counties license in unincorporated areas. |
What trips hosts in Portland
- Portland's Type A/B line is about scale and absence, not permission to exist — the common error is running a Type B operation on a Type A permit.
The private layer still applies
These are the city's rules. Your HOA, condo board, lease or mortgage can say no on top of them — that layer is printed as a warning in the checker, never merged into the city's verdict.
Sources: Portland City Code Ch. 33.207 (Accessory Short-Term Rentals) · Portland Permits STR program. Rules checked October 2026.