Hillsboro, OR Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Hillsboro, OR, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Partial-dwelling approval
- Type I process, CDC § 12.80.126
- Full-dwelling approval
- CDC § 12.80.040
- Business license
- Required for both STR types
- Full-dwelling ownership cap
- Max 2 STRs per owner citywide
- Events barred
- No parties, weddings, business retreats
- Rental limit
- One rental transaction at a time
Summary
Operating a short-term rental in Hillsboro requires land-use approval before renting out space to paying guests for 30 days or less. Community Development Code § 12.40.230(B) sends partial-dwelling STRs, where the host stays on site, through the Type I process in § 12.80.126, and full-dwelling STRs through § 12.80.040; both host types must also carry a current City of Hillsboro business license under Subsections C.5 and D.4.
B.Approvals Required.1.Partial-dwelling STRs are subject to approval pursuant to Section 12.80.126.2.Full-dwelling STRs are subject to approval pursuant to Section 12.80.040. ... C.5.The owner of the partial-dwelling STR must maintain a valid business license from the City of Hillsboro. ... D.4.The owner of the full-dwelling STR must maintain a valid Business License from the City of Hillsboro.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
230(B) splits short-term rental approval into two tracks. 040. 230, and proof of property ownership. The Review Authority approves the application only after finding both that the zoning of the property lists short-term rentals as an allowed use and that the proposal complies with the partial-dwelling standards. Approval is site-specific: under Subsection I, if the approved applicant moves, the permit becomes invalid and the new owner must apply again. 4 imposes the identical business-license duty on full-dwelling STR owners. 1 limits any owner to holding interest in no more than 2 full-dwelling STRs within Hillsboro city limits, verified against tax records. 5.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the land-use approval and business license required by Section 12.40.230(B) and the license duties in Subsections C.5 and D.4 is a code violation enforceable through the City's business-license and code-compliance process. Section 12.80.126(J) allows the City Council to revoke a partial-dwelling STR's business license for cause under Municipal Code Subchapter 5.04, including any Code violation or unpaid license fee, and decisions may be appealed under Section 12.70.180.
Frequently Asked Questions
What permit do I need to run a short-term rental in Hillsboro?
How many short-term rentals can one person operate in Hillsboro?
What has to be included in a Hillsboro STR application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
How Hillsboro compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Hillsboro to another location·View the Oregon short-term rentals overview
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