Medford, OR Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Contact availability
- 24/7, including holidays, while occupied
- Rep change notice
- 14 days' prior written notice to City
- Neighbor notice radius
- 250 feet, mailed or hand-delivered annually
- Governing section
- MMC 8.031(3)(a)-(c)
- Appeal window
- 10 business days to City Manager
Summary
Medford requires every licensed vacation rental to have a qualified contact person reachable by phone around the clock while the property is rented, so neighbors and police always have someone to call.
(3) Vacation rental license applications shall be reviewed for compliance with the criteria listed in subsections (3)(a) through (c) of this section and endorsed by the business license program.
(a) The owner must provide information sufficient to verify a qualified person will be available for contact regarding use of the short-term rental during and after business hours. The owner or representative must be available to be contacted by telephone to ensure a response to the short-term rental address at all hours (seven days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays) while the property is occupied for rent. The designated representative may be changed upon 14 days' prior written notice to the City. In an emergency or absence, contact information for a second qualified person may be provided.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-32, passed May 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
031(3), the business license program reviews vacation rental license applications against three criteria before endorsement. The first requires the owner to prove that a qualified person will be available for contact regarding use of the short-term rental during and after business hours: the owner or representative must be reachable by telephone to ensure a response to the rental address at all hours, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays, whenever the property is occupied for rent. A backup contact may be listed for emergencies or when the primary contact is absent.
Operators can swap the designated representative, but only after giving the City 14 days' prior written notice. The same subsection also requires an annual notice, mailed or hand-delivered, to every neighbor within 250 feet of the rental giving that contact information so residents know who to call about problems, and it requires the rental's good neighbor guidelines to be worked into the rental contract, booklet, or a posted notice inside the unit. 031(1). 032 if the underlying representation turns out to be false or the requirement lapses.
Violations & Fines
Because host presence is a licensing condition, the City's remedy is administrative rather than a standalone fine: a vacation rental license can be denied at application under Section 8.031, or revoked under Section 8.032 if a licensee misrepresents the contact arrangement or the business is later found out of compliance, barring the operator from doing business at that address for one year from discovery. General chapter 8 violations are also punishable under Section 8.900, which treats each day of an ongoing violation as a separate offense. A denial or revocation can be appealed to the City Manager within 10 business days under Section 8.033.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the host have to personally answer calls at 3 a.m.?
What happens if Medford's vacation rental host changes phone numbers?
Can Medford revoke a vacation rental license over the contact requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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