STR rules · verified 1mo ago
Short-term rental rules in Astoria, OR
Astoria takes a housing-first stance: whole-home vacation rentals are effectively closed to new entrants. Only properties operating as a vacation rental on or before December 7, 2022 may license under the 50-unit citywide cap; new applications are not being accepted until early 2026 and the program currently holds about 43 active licenses against the cap. Homestay Lodging (owner-occupied, room rentals) is a separate license track and is the only realistic path for a new investor without a grandfathered property. Vacation Rental licenses are $500 base + $75 per additional unit, with biennial $150 renewals. Combined lodging tax is 11% (6% city + 5% Clatsop County). The city monitors approximately 100 listings daily across all major platforms.
What's behind the sign-in
- Registration fees — initial + annual renewal cost, per permit type
- Permit caps + waitlists — exact cap values, current waitlist counts
- Owner-occupancy rules — days/year requirement, permit-class splits
- Zoning carve-outs — which districts allow / disallow STR
- Tax stack — TOT, hotel, county + state layers
- Stay limits — min/max nightly, max nights/year
- Operational requirements — parking, insurance, fire inspection, neighbor notice
- Penalties — per-night fines, revocation thresholds
- City-specific gotchas — HOA carve-outs, pending legislation, recent court rulings
- Refresh on demand — re-run the agentic pipeline against the city's current ordinance
Frequently asked
Are short-term rentals legal in Astoria, OR?
Astoria is currently restricted for short-term rentals. Permitted but with material constraints — caps, owner-occupancy rules, zoning carve-outs, or active ordinance review. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Astoria?
Almost certainly yes — almost every U.S. city now requires a short-term rental permit, vacation rental permit, or transient lodging permit before you can legally list. The specifics for Astoria (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://www.astoria.gov/Vacation_Rental_License_Program.aspx.
What happens if I rent without a permit in Astoria?
Most cities charge per-night fines (a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per violation), escalating to cease-and-desist letters and platform delisting on repeat. Airbnb and Vrbo now share permit-validation feeds with most major cities, so unpermitted listings get blocked at the platform level. Sign in to see the specific penalty schedule for Astoria.
How current is this data for Astoria?
This record was verified 1mo ago against the city's published ordinance (.gov or the city's official municipal-code publisher). Cached cities re-verify on a cadence — daily for cities under active legislation, weekly otherwise. Signed-in users can hit Refresh on any city to force a fresh pull. If you're underwriting a deal, always confirm against the city's code-enforcement office before closing.
Can my HOA or condo association ban STRs even if Astoria allows them?
Yes. City permits authorize you under municipal law, but your HOA, condo association, or co-op board sets contractual rules that override the city for your unit. Many HOAs adopted blanket STR bans between 2018 and 2024 in response to neighbor complaints. Read the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rental addendums before you buy with an STR plan — the city saying yes does not mean your building says yes.