Bonner County, ID Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Section 12-484 of the Bonner County Revised Code is the vacation rental permit ordinance for unincorporated Bonner County. Its stated intent is to safeguard public health, safety and general welfare and to keep vacation rentals compatible with surrounding residential uses without materially altering the neighborhoods where they sit. A vacation rental is defined in § 12-822 as a dwelling unit, excluding caretaker's residences and farm labor housing, rented for periods of up to one month per visit.

Approval comes from the Planning Director or designee. The application has to include the landowner or applicant name, the property address and property number, the name and telephone number of the local representative, the maximum occupancy requested, a parking plan showing off-street spaces and the maximum number of vehicles, the solid waste disposal collection day, the fire district if applicable, a site plan showing all property lines and structures, any additional material the Planning Director needs for a complete review, and fees set by the Board of County Commissioners.

The permit is issued for one (1) year once the Planning Department finds the application and section requirements met and the permit fee is paid. Renewal runs on a county form with a renewal fee, submitted no sooner than sixty (60) days before expiration. A permit with no timely renewal expires automatically and a new application is required.

The permit belongs to one owner. If the property is sold, the permit expires immediately, and permits cannot be transferred by sale or any other means. Approval is also required from the agency with jurisdiction over the access serving the site, and every vacation rental must conform to its zoning, including floodplain permitting and shoreline regulations. The county also notifies property owners and residents within three hundred feet (300') of the property when a permit issues.