Short-Term Rentals in Salem, OR (2026)

7 verified short-term rentals rules for Salem, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Operating an accessory short-term rental in Salem requires a City license under SRC 30.1000 before any booking, on top of the special-use standards in SRC 700.006. The license is issued for a calendar year, expires every December 31, and cannot be transferred to a new operator or a different property.

Salem Short-Term Rental License Required

Significant Restrictions

SRC § 30.1000

(a)An accessory short-term rental license shall be effective when issued, and shall expire on December 31 of the year it is issued, unless sooner suspended or revoked. The license may be renewed pursuant to SRC 30.055.(b)An accessory short-term rental license shall designate the operator and the property approved under the license. Licenses shall not be transferable to other people or properties.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Salem taxes short-term rentals the same as hotels: SRC 37.020 defines 'transient lodging' to expressly include both 'short-term rental' and 'accessory short-term rental,' so every STR host owes the city's nine percent transient occupancy tax on rent collected for stays of 30 days or less. STR license applicants must also submit a completed transient occupancy tax registration form before the City will issue their license.

Salem Short-Term Rental License and Occupancy Tax

Some Restrictions

Salem Revised Code §§ 37.020, 37.030, 30.1105(d)

Sec. 37.020: "Transient lodging or transient lodging facility means any structure or premises... used, occupied, intended, or designed for transient occupancy for 30 days or less for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purposes, and includes, but is not limited to, any hotel, motel, inn,... accessory short-term rental, short-term rental, manufactured dwelling,... provided such occupancy is for a per...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Salem caps overnight guests in an accessory short-term rental at two per guest room. Hosted rentals, where the resident family stays on site, are capped at two guests per room with up to three rooms; non-hosted whole-unit rentals allow the same per-room ratio but never more than ten guests total, under SRC 700.006(e).

Salem Short-Term Rental Guest Limits

Some Restrictions

SRC § 700.006(e)

(e)Number of guests.(1)Hosted rental. The maximum number of guests shall not exceed two per guest room.(2)Non-hosted rental. When the resident family is not present as a host, the maximum number of guests shall not exceed two per guest room, but in no case shall the total number of guests exceed ten.(3)For purposes of this subsection, children under 12 years of age do not count toward the maxim...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Salem requires every licensed short-term rental and accessory short-term rental operator to carry liability insurance covering the rental use for the entire time the license is valid. The requirement sits alongside guest-registry, local-representative, and Housing Code compliance duties under SRC chapter 30's short-term rental licensing sections.

Salem Short-Term Rental Insurance Rule

Some Restrictions

Salem Revised Code §§ 30.1005(f), 30.1105(e)

[SRC 30.1005(f)] Insurance. The operator of an accessory short-term rental shall maintain liability insurance which covers the use of the property as an accessory short-term rental. The insurance shall be in effect during the entire term the accessory short-term rental license is valid. ... [SRC 30.1105(e)] Insurance. The operator of a short-term term rental shall maintain liability insurance w...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

A Salem accessory short-term rental with no resident host on site cannot be booked more than 95 days in a calendar year. SRC 700.006(g)(2) also limits a non-hosted rental to one booking at a time; hosted rentals, where the family stays home, face no annual day limit at all.

Salem Non-Hosted STR 95-Day Cap

Some Restrictions

SRC § 700.006(g)

(g)Booking limits.(1)Hosted rental.(A)There is no maximum limit on the number of days within a calendar year an accessory short-term rental may be rented when the resident family is present as a host.(B)Multiple bookings at any given time by more than one group of guests are allowed.(2)Non-hosted rental.(A)The total number of days within a calendar year an accessory short-term rental may be ren...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Salem's accessory short-term rental ordinance treats hosted and non-hosted stays differently rather than banning either. When the resident family stays on site as host, up to three guest rooms may be rented; when the family is away, the whole unit may be rented but only for a capped number of days each year, under SRC 700.006.

Salem Hosted vs Non-Hosted STR Rules

Some Restrictions

SRC § 700.006(a), (d)

(a)Operated as accessory use. An accessory short-term rental shall only be operated as an accessory use to a single family or two family use on the same lot. In order to qualify as an accessory use:(1)The accessory short-term rental must be operated by the resident family who resides in the dwelling unit; and(2)The resident family must reside in the dwelling unit for a minimum of 270 days durin...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Salem only allows an accessory short-term rental where the resident family, whether owner or tenant, actually lives in the home at least 270 days each calendar year. A property used purely as an investment rental, with no one living there most of the year, does not qualify under SRC 700.006(a).

Salem STR Owner Must Live On-Site

Some Restrictions

SRC § 700.006(a)

(a)Operated as accessory use. An accessory short-term rental shall only be operated as an accessory use to a single family or two family use on the same lot. In order to qualify as an accessory use:(1)The accessory short-term rental must be operated by the resident family who resides in the dwelling unit; and(2)The resident family must reside in the dwelling unit for a minimum of 270 days durin...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Marion County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salem city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in Marion County →