County not seeing the influx of short-term rental applications it expected
Chelan County Community Development reminds existing owners of vacation rentals that time is slipping away for any pre-existing short-term rentals to apply to operate legally in the county.
The department opened up the application period for existing short-term rentals on Sept. 27. That application period ends Dec. 31. But as of Oct. 18, the county has received only 40 completed applications from existing operators.
The department estimates Chelan County has at least 1,300 businesses in the county operating as short-term rentals.
“We didn’t want a rush of applications on Sept. 27; however, a few dozen applications at this point in the process is concerning,” said Kirsten Ryles, manager of Community Development’s Short-Term Rental Division. “If people have questions about the process, give us a call. We are here to help.”
In July, Chelan County commissioners passed a new code, Chapter 11.88.290, that establishes the operating standards of the county’s short-term rental industry, which has seen rapid growth in most recent years.
Chelan County created an application process for existing short-term rentals to give current operators the opportunity to be grandfathered into the new code and not have to comply with certain requirements, such as density caps and lot size minimums that all new rentals will have to follow. That “grandfathered” rental permit process only runs through Dec. 31.
After Dec. 31, if a full application has not been handed into Community Development, short-term rental operators must apply as a new business, meaning they will be subject to any short-term rental caps and lot size and spacing restrictions established in several areas of Chelan County known to have high numbers of existing rentals.
“If you meet the requirements for an existing short-term rental in Chelan County, we encourage you to visit our website, download the application and forms, and get started on this process,” Ryles said. “If operators put off the process, they may find themselves competing in the new year for limited opportunities with other new businesses.”
For existing short-term rental applicants, a provisional permitting process is being used for the 2021 and 2022 permitting years because of the large volume of applications expected. Upon turning in their applications and paying their fees, applicants are issued a provisional permit, giving Community Development time to review the application and determine if a final permit will be issued, or if an issue needs to be corrected prior to issuance of the final permit. Operating a short-term rental without a valid permit after the cut-off date carries a $750 a day penalty, which may increase to $1,500 a day for repeat violations.
The application period for new short-term rentals opens Dec. 1 and runs through July 29, 2022.
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
PLEASE NOTE: FTP browsing is no longer supported on the latest browsers, please refer below to acccess our FTP content.
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By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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Assessor's Office Community Meeting: Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee
Posted by: Chelan County Assessor
Chelan County Assessor Wes Cornelius invites property owners and all interested parties to attend one of four community meetings scheduled this spring throughout the county.