Fees set for Quincy short-term rental permits

QUINCY — Quincy residents who want to convert property into short-term rentals will be required to buy a permit and update it annually. 

Quincy Public Works Director Carl Worley said the ordinance is something relatively new in Quincy. 

“We have not had a short-term rental ordinance very long,” Worley wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “We reviewed other communities’ ordinances to keep from reinventing the wheel.” 

In a discussion with Quincy City Council members, Worley said city officials are still working to determine how many short-term rentals there are in Quincy. 

“They’re not the easiest things to track down,” Worley said. “There are between four and six that we’re aware of. We’re kind of making contact and going through the process.”  

A permit will be required before a property owner can start renting out a dwelling, according to the city’s municipal code. The fee is $383 for the initial application and $109 each year. People who operate a short-term rental without a permit will be warned, and if the activity continues can be fined up to $100 per day.  

The ordinance recognizes two different types of short-term rentals. The first allows people to rent rooms when they live on the property; the second governs the rental of dwellings where the owner doesn’t live in the house.  

A manager must live within a 45-minute drive, according to the ordinance, and the property must meet zoning and building codes. They also must meet fire safety and sanitation regulations. Off-street parking must be provided for every two bedrooms, and one off-street parking space for every bedroom when the house has an odd number of bedrooms.  

An inspection is required before a permit is granted, according to the ordinance.  

The number of short-term rentals is capped at 1% of the total number of houses in Quincy, something that’s reevaluated annually. Short-term rentals are prohibited in industrial zones.  

The license can be revoked if the property is found to be a nuisance; whether or not it’s a nuisance is determined by city officials.