Council passes revisions to vacation rental policy

By Cameron Rasmusson
Reader Staff

The lengthy process of updating local vacation rental policies concluded Wednesday with the Sandpoint City Council passing a revised ordinance.

The new regulations bring Sandpoint into compliance with revised state law. They are also designed to allow for more efficient city enforcement, be more responsive to market demand and balance neighborhood integrity with ownership rights and the Sandpoint Comprehensive Plan.

According to city statistics, there are 57 permitted vacation rentals in Sandpoint’s residential zones, half of which are located in Condo Del Sol, Westwood and Drift Wood Cottages. However, there are around 150 vacation rental listings with Sandpoint across all zones, many of which have not received a  city permit.