Short-Term Rentals in Tualatin, OR: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Tualatin or are thinking about moving there, short-term rentals are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Tualatin has 6 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Occupancy Limits

Tualatin has not adopted a short-term-rental-specific occupancy limit in the Tualatin Municipal Code or Tualatin Development Code. Maximum occupancy at an STR is set instead by the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) and the Oregon Structural Specialty Code provisions applied through Tualatin Building Division plan review, which derive occupant load from bedroom count, egress, and life-safety criteria, together with the TDC's general dwelling-unit definition. Because TMC 6-13 treats an STR as a 'residential rental unit,' the unit must remain in conformance with the dwelling-unit standards under which it was built.

Key details: STR-Specific Occupancy Cap: None codified in TMC or TDC. Governing Codes: Oregon Residential Specialty Code + Oregon Structural Specialty Code applied through Tualatin Building Division. Local Reference: TMC Chapter 6-13 (Rental Housing Maintenance Standards) requires safe-occupancy compliance. Zoning Reference: TDC dwelling-unit definition; use must remain residential. Common Operator Convention: '(2 x bedrooms) + 2' is a private listing policy, not Tualatin law.

Where actual occupancy of a Tualatin dwelling unit exceeds the configuration approved through Oregon building-code plan review (for example, sleeping rooms added without permits, basements used for sleeping that do not meet egress, or substantial overoccupation of approved sleeping rooms), Tualatin Building Division and Code Enforcement can pursue violations under the adopted state building codes and TMC Chapter 6-13. Sleeping in spaces without compliant egress is a life-safety violation that may trigger immediate cease-occupancy orders. Where overoccupancy generates persistent noise or nuisance, TMC Chapter 6-14 (Noise Ordinance) and the general nuisance provisions of Title 6 apply in parallel. Where the underlying use is not permitted in the TDC zoning district, zoning enforcement applies separately.

The rules around occupancy limits in Tualatin lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Insurance Requirements

Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 9-9 (Ordinance 1408-18) does not impose a minimum liability insurance coverage requirement on short-term rental operators. The City Manager may, under TMC 9-9-360 Security for Collection of Tax, require a transient lodging tax collector to deposit cash, bond, or other security up to five times the average monthly tax liability or $5,000, whichever is less, but this is a tax security, not a liability policy.

Key details: Code: TMC Chapter 9-9. Enabling Ordinance: 1408-18. Liability Minimum: Not required by city. Tax Security Cap: $5,000 or 5x monthly. Security Section: TMC 9-9-360.

There is no civil infraction for operating without liability insurance because Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 9-9 does not impose that requirement. However, failing to register as a transient lodging tax collector or failing to deposit security required by the City Manager under TMC 9-9-360 are civil infractions under TMC 9-9-500 subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per day, with each day of unregistered operation a separate infraction.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Tualatin gives residents more flexibility on insurance requirements.

Taxes & Fees

Short-term rentals inside Tualatin city limits are subject to a layered transient lodging tax stack. The City of Tualatin imposes a 2.5% Transient Lodging Tax under TMC Chapter 9-9, created by Ordinance 1408-18 and effective February 26, 2018. Oregon imposes a 1.5% State Transient Lodging Tax under ORS Chapter 320, administered by the Oregon Department of Revenue. Washington County imposes a county-level transient lodging tax (commonly reported at 9%). Airbnb collects and remits the city and state lodging taxes on Tualatin bookings made through its platform; direct bookings remain the operator's responsibility. Additional city fees include the $10.00 annual Rental Housing License under TMC 6-13.

Key details: City of Tualatin Transient Lodging Tax: 2.5% under TMC Chapter 9-9 (Ord. 1408-18, eff. Feb 26, 2018). Oregon State Lodging Tax: 1.5% under ORS 320.305 (stays under 30 days). Washington County Lodging Tax: County-level tax administered by Washington County A&T (commonly reported at 9%). Rental Housing License Fee: $10.00 per dwelling unit per year (TMC 6-13). City Administrator: Tualatin Finance Department.

Failure to collect or remit the 2.5% City of Tualatin Transient Lodging Tax under TMC Chapter 9-9 is enforceable by the Tualatin Finance Department under the assessment, audit, penalty, and interest provisions of the chapter; the City can assess unpaid tax, impose statutory interest and late-payment penalties, and pursue collection. Failure to collect or remit the 1.5% Oregon State Transient Lodging Tax under ORS 320.305 is enforceable by the Oregon Department of Revenue, which may assess back tax, interest, and penalties and may use ordinary state tax-collection remedies. Failure to comply with the Washington County transient lodging tax is enforceable by the Washington County Department of Assessment and Taxation. Failure to maintain a current TMC 6-13 Rental Housing License blocks the operator from lawfully offering the unit for occupancy and is subject to the general Title 6 enforcement framework. Where Airbnb or another platform collects the city and state taxes on platform bookings, the operator remains liable for direct-booking revenue and for any platform shortfall.

Noise Rules

Tualatin has not codified short-term-rental-specific quiet hours. STR guests are subject to the general noise control provisions of Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 6-14 (Noise Ordinance), which prohibits any person from knowingly creating, permitting, or assisting in the creation or continuance of a noise disturbance. TMC 6-14 limits industrial, agricultural, construction, and demolition sounds to 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and limits residential power-equipment use (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, lawn edgers, snow removal equipment, hand tools, saws, drills, and similar tools used for home or building repair, maintenance, landscaping, alteration, or manual arts) to 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Complaints route through the Tualatin Police Department.

Key details: Codified STR Quiet Hours: None; general TMC 6-14 noise ordinance applies. Governing Chapter: TMC Chapter 6-14 (Noise Ordinance), added by Ordinance 1361-13. Industrial / Construction / Demolition Window: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., seven days a week. Residential Power Equipment Window: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.. Decibel Reference: TMC 6-14-050 references a 50 dB threshold at noise-sensitive properties.

TMC Chapter 6-14 noise violations are enforced by the Tualatin Police Department, which can issue on-scene citations to the responsible occupants. TMC 6-1-210 (referenced in the adopting ordinance) establishes the general penalty framework for Title 6 offenses; civil penalties and continuing-violation accruals apply, and persistent violations at an address can be referred to Code Enforcement and the City Attorney for abatement. Where the disturbing property is operating without a TMC 6-13 Rental Housing License or in a TDC zoning district where transient lodging is not allowed, the City can pursue rental-housing and zoning violations in parallel. Persons needing to perform work outside the 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. industrial/construction window or the 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. residential power-equipment window must apply to the Tualatin Engineering Division for a Noise & Work Hour Variance before the work begins.

Parking Rules

STR guests must comply with Tualatin parking regulations. Vehicles must park in driveways or designated paved areas on private property. Abandoned vehicles on streets for over 24 hours are subject to towing. Residential parking zones exist in designated areas.

Key details: Private Parking: Driveway or paved area. Street Limit: No abandoned vehicles 24+ hrs. Parking Zones: Permit required in some areas. Code Section: TMC Chapter 08-01.

Parking plan non-compliance may affect STR permit renewal. Street parking violations per city code.

Permit Requirements

As of May 2026, the City of Tualatin has not codified a short-term-rental-specific licensing chapter in the Tualatin Municipal Code (TMC) or the Tualatin Development Code (TDC). Vacation rentals, Airbnb listings, and other dwellings rented to non-owner occupants are treated as 'residential rental units' under TMC Chapter 6-13 (Rental Housing Maintenance Standards), which requires every owner or operator of a rental dwelling unit to obtain an annual Rental Housing License from the City Finance Department at $10.00 per unit. Operators must also obtain a City of Tualatin Business License and confirm that transient lodging use is permitted in the underlying TDC zoning district. The state Transient Lodging Tax registration with the Oregon Department of Revenue is separately required.

Key details: Codified STR Chapter: None as of May 2026. Governing City Code: TMC Chapter 6-13 (Rental Housing Maintenance Standards). Rental Housing License Fee: $10.00 per dwelling unit per year. License Cycle: April 1 - March 31 (non-refundable). City Business License: Required for any commercial use, including STR operation.

Operating a residential rental unit in Tualatin without a current Rental Housing License is a violation of TMC Chapter 6-13. TMC Chapter 1-6 governs general municipal code enforcement and authorizes the City to issue civil citations, abatement orders, and accrue penalties for continuing violations. Operating a business without a City of Tualatin Business License is independently citable under the business license chapter of the TMC. If the underlying use is not permitted in the TDC zoning district that applies to the property, the Tualatin Planning Division can issue zoning-violation notices and pursue abatement; repeated unpermitted lodging activity in a residential zone can lead to escalating civil penalties and an order to cease the use. Failure to remit the 2.5% city Transient Lodging Tax under TMC Chapter 9-9 or the 1.5% state Transient Lodging Tax under ORS Chapter 320 is enforceable by the City Finance Department and the Oregon Department of Revenue respectively, with interest and penalties on unpaid amounts.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Tualatin gives residents more room on short-term rentals. 2 of the 6 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

These rules come from Tualatin's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.