STR rules · verified 2w ago
Short-term rental rules in Sisters, OR
The City of Sisters (Deschutes County, Three Sisters Wilderness gateway) regulates short-term rentals through Sisters Development Code Section 2.15.2700 and operating license requirements in Sisters Municipal Code Chapter 5.50. Ordinance No. 540, adopted September 25, 2024 and effective October 25, 2024, expanded the STR concentration rule from 250 feet to 500 feet — meaning a new STR cannot be approved within 500 feet of an existing STR. The 500-foot spacing rule does not apply to dwelling units in commercial or mixed-use buildings, and STRs are prohibited in Urban Growth Boundary expansion/annexation areas. The Planning Commission has discussed a residential-zone cap (proposed 8%) but as of 2024-2025 implementation status it was not formally adopted; existing STRs accounted for approximately 3.5% of residential units. Operators must hold a city STR operating license, comply with safety standards, and remit Oregon state lodging tax (1.5%) plus Deschutes County and city transient lodging taxes.
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 Sisters, OR?
Sisters is currently permitted for short-term rentals. Active permits with clear rules and no recent ordinance tightening — stable for new STR investment. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Sisters?
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 Sisters (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/community-development/page/short-term-rental-program.
What happens if I rent without a permit in Sisters?
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 Sisters.
How current is this data for Sisters?
This record was verified 2w 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 Sisters 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.