Boiler Bay Beacon
NEWPORT — Unincorporated Lincoln County has 427 licensed short-term rentals, 263 more than the 164 the Board of Commissioners allows, according to a Sheriff’s Office table posted online.
Only one license is left in the whole unincorporated county, and it is east of Highway 101. Regions 1 through 6 show zero available, as seen at the sheriff’s short-term rental licensing page.
The latest analysis by the sheriff, who runs the county’s short-term rental (STR) business, clears the way for the reduction of vacation rental homes after an Aug. 12 court ruling, Briggs v. Lincoln County, put county law on firm ground. It could also jolt the county budget by terminating as much as $1.6 million in annual taxes, by one estimate.
“I am pleased by the (Oregon) Court of Appeals ruling upholding our short-term rental license program,” said outgoing Commissioner Walter Chuck in a county news release. “Lincoln County’s license program allows rentals while also balancing livability for residents.”
Chuck blamed STR’s for “significant housing shortages and decreased quality of life” for residents, who voted by a 58 percent margin in 2021 to limit STRs in the unincorporated parts.
His main rival on the presently gridlocked county commission said the ruling doesn’t settle the debate, however. Casey Miller asserted the verdict moves questions about policy outcomes and financial impacts to the forefront.
“The question now is, ‘Is the law working?’” Miller told the Beacon, who is seeking a second four-year term Nov. 3. “The bigger issue, of financial impact and how we react, has never been discussed as far as I know.”
While it’s easy to get mad at tourists, Lincoln County earns 12 percent on overnight visitors. Using VRBO as a general guide, 263 vacation home licenses likely generate $13.2 million in annual room income, with a $1.6 million cut to the county.
The news release gave insight into the status of the county’s STR program, which dates back to 2016 following “increased problems of excessive noise, spilled garbage, shortages of parking, and overcrowded accommodations.”
The sheriff issues licenses in seven regions for vacation rentals outside the city limits of Lincoln City, Newport, Depoe Bay, Waldport, Yachats, Toledo, and Siletz, which run their own programs. West of 101, every rural region is over its cap and closed:
Region 1 (north of the Depoe Bay Bridge, west of 101): 117 licenses, 42 allowed, 0 available.
Region 2 (Depoe Bay Bridge to the Yaquina Bay Bridge, west of 101): 19 licenses, 9 allowed, 0 available.
Region 3 (Yaquina Bay Bridge to Beaver Creek Bridge, west of 101): 31 licenses, 5 allowed, 0 available.
Region 4 (Beaver Creek Bridge to Alsea Bay Bridge, west of 101): 110 licenses, 26 allowed, 0 available.
Region 5 (south of Alsea Bay Bridge, west of 101): 76 licenses, 7 allowed, 0 available.
East of 101, Region 6 is now full: 44 licenses, 44 allowed, 0 available. Region 7 has 30 licenses against a cap of 31, with 1 available.
On Aug. 18 the sheriff’s licensing office drew a lottery for the slots that were then open: five in Region 6 and one in Region 7. The winners had 45 days from notice to file a new application and pay. Region 6 is at the cap; Region 7 still shows one opening.
The county news release tersely concluded that waitlist dated Aug. 26 still has 133 names. When a license opens, staff draw from that region’s list by random number. New applications cost $900. Renewals are $650. For more information, visit or call the office, Room 203 of the courthouse, 225 W. Olive St., Newport, 541-265-0675. The complaint hotline is 541-265-0666.
