PULLMAN, WA – After nearly two years of crafting and review the Pullman City Council with a four to two vote has decided to enact new controversial regulations on short term rentals like Airbnb’s.
The city’s planning commission began drafting rules on short term rentals in August of 2023 as part of the city’s overall zoning code update. The issue has become a hot button as hundreds of short term rentals have been listed as Pullman locations on the Airbnb website alone. In reality only 14 are legal short term rentals under the city’s soon to be former regulations. Those expiring rules require an Airbnb operator to obtain a Conditional Use Permit from the city’s hearing examiner and they are banned in single family residential R1 zones.
The new rules approved by city council Tuesday night go into effect in a little over two weeks on June 1st. They allow Airbnb’s up to a duplex in size in all zones. Operators must have a business license. Emergency evacuation plans are required that need to be approved by the city along with a lighted emergency exit sign and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The restrictions include occupancy limits and requires an inspection by a city building official. The annual permits will soon be mandated to advertise a short term rental in the City of Pullman. The initial permit application fee is 200 dollars and annual renewals are free.
City Councilman Trymaine Gaither argued for the new restrictions. You can hear a portion of his comments below.
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Councilman Nathan Weller voted against the rules arguing that it’s government overreach by the city and says that long-term rentals are a much bigger issue. You can listen to some of his thoughts below.
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Councilmembers Eric Fejeran, Megan Guido, Carla De Lira and Gaither voted for the rules. Councilmembers Weller and Pat Wright voted no. Councilwoman Ann Parks was not at Tuesday night’s meeting and her excused absence was approved by city council.
The public was prohibited from commenting to council about the issue Tuesday night. Mayor Francis Benjamin noted that comment during the meeting was banned by Washington state law because input was previously accepted at earlier meetings.