There has been a lot of discussion over the last couple of years about Short Term rentals. I am a Co Owner with my wife and business partner of a Vacation Rental management company in Cannon Beach and feel it is time to speak up. One of the things that was said to me and was even conveyed in a local meeting is that “We are only out to make Money and do not care about our communities. Well I can tell you that is the farthest thing from the truth. I grew up in Clatsop County. I raised my family here and 3 of our 4 children have put their roots down here and are raising their families here as well. Seeing our communities thrive has always been at the forefront of what I would like to see. I have seen many changes, some for the worse and some for the better.
The one constant is we have always had tourism here. First it was to supplement what logging and fishing didn’t cover. Then as things changed it has become the primary economic driver for Clatsop county. We currently have 32 employees that depend on the rentals we manage to provide for their family. They take great pride in their work and their community. We provide a full range of benefits including paying 100% of our full time employees health care premium. Our employees are part of this community. They are involved in all aspects from volunteering in local events to being involved with their churches. We also use local vendors to help maintain and keep up these properties. So when someone says all the money from short term rentals leaves the area that is just not true. This group is a large economic engine for both Local small business and our tax base.
One of the things I have learned over the years is there are misunderstandings in the difference between Short Term Rentals and Vacation homes. Short Term rentals are regulated at varying degrees throughout the county. I will say in Cannon Beach they are highly regulated with occupancy and parking restrictions as well as how many rentals you can have in a month. This program has been very successful. Where I see a misunderstanding is in Second or Vacation Homes that are not licensed through one of our communities or the county. These Second homes that are not part of a STR program are not regulated just like your home. This means there are no parking or occupancy restrictions for these homes unlike the short term rentals in the neighborhood.
The last thing I would like to say is there is a group out there making us out to be the villains. While we are not perfect we do work hard with our neighbors to correct issues and be the best we can be. I ask before you jump to conclusions that you remember that some of your neighbors depend on the economics that Short Term Rentals bring to the
