County makes it official: Vacation rental permits are limited

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

San Juan County Council voted unanimously (3-0) on May 17 to limit the number of vacation rental permits on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Island, as well as on outer islands. 

Vacation rental permits are limited per island as follows:   

• San Juan Island: 337 vacation rental permits 
• Orcas Island: 211 vacation rental permits
• Lopez Island: 135 vacation rental permits
• Outer islands: 10 vacation rental permits, except for Shaw and Waldron which have existing ordinances that do not allow short-term vacation rentals. 

Since 2019, the Council and the County Planning Commission have collectively held seven public hearings on the vacation rental issue and have compiled extensive public comments. The final limits reflect the individual island communities and balance the economic benefits of vacation rentals, their impact on island neighborhoods, and the stability of housing availability in the County.  

The new limits will take effect on June 2 – ten working days after the ordinance was adopted. What this means moving forward:

• The new caps do not take away existing active or inactive permits that are fully compliant with County regulatory requirements and fees. 
• If the number of permits on a given island is above the cap, no new permits will be issued until the number of permits has fallen below the cap through abandonment, revocation, or other voluntary attrition.
• New permits will be issued using a lottery system that will be determined at a future meeting. 
• The permit limits do not apply to homes located on properties with master planned resort zoning, including those within Roche Harbor Resort. 

For more information about vacation rentals and permitting, please visit: www.sanjuanco.com/1836/Vacation-Rental-Compliance-Enforcement

About San Juan County’s Department of Community Development 

San Juan County’s Department of Community Development is responsible for building permits and inspections, code enforcement, land use designations, long range planning, and more. The department’s main office is located at 145 Rhone Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Community Development, visit www.sanjuanco.com/1778/Community-Development.