Multnomah County, OR Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Multnomah County, OR, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registration deadline
- 15 calendar days after starting business
- Certificate fee
- Free, issued within 10 days
- Max fine
- Up to $500 per violation
- Lodging tax rate
- 11.5% of rent charged
- Scope
- Countywide, including Portland
Summary
Multnomah County requires every short-term rental host or booking platform to register as a transient lodging operator with the tax administrator within 15 days of starting business, before collecting any lodging tax.
Every person engaging or about to engage in business as an operator of a hotel in the county must register with the tax administrator on a form provided by the administrator. Operators starting businesses must register within 15 calendar days after commencing business.
(B) The privilege of registration after the date of imposition of the transient lodgings tax will not relieve any person from the obligation of payment or collection of tax regardless of registration. (S-1 2020)
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Multnomah County – Chapter 11 - Revenue and Taxation
(C) The tax administrator will, within ten days after registration, issue without charge a certificate of authority to each registrant to collect the tax from the occupant, with a duplicate for each additional place of business of each registrant.
(D) Certificates are not assignable or transferable and must be surrendered immediately to the tax administrator upon the cessation of business at the location named or upon its sale or transfer. (Ord. 1206, Amended, 12/19/2013; Ord. 941, Amended, 02/17/2000; ‘ 90 Code, § 5.50.150, 07/01/1998; Ord. 56, passed, 06/29/1972)
Full Breakdown
Multnomah County Code § 11.406 requires anyone operating a 'hotel' -- a term covering any structure or space rented for 30 days or less, which sweeps in Airbnb-style short-term rentals -- to register with the county tax administrator on the county's form within 15 calendar days of starting business. The administrator then issues, free and within ten days, a certificate of authority allowing the operator to collect the 11.5% transient lodgings tax from guests. Certificates cannot be sold or transferred and must be surrendered immediately if the rental stops operating or changes ownership. The tax and registration duty apply countywide, including inside Portland, though operators there receive credit against any city lodging tax paid on the same stay.
Violations & Fines
Operating without registering is a code violation punishable by a fine up to $500 per offense, set by the tax administrator under § 11.499.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register my Airbnb in Multnomah County?
Does this apply if my rental is in Portland?
What happens if I don't register?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
How Multnomah County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon short-term rentals overview
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