County Commissioners seek community input as they consider allowing RVs as rental dwellings

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On Wednesday, May 8, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a public hearing where residents can provide their input on allowing recreational vehicles (RVs) to be used as rental dwellings.

Following the adoption of Oregon Senate Bill (SB) 1013, which became law in January 2024, the BOCC is considering whether to amend Deschutes County zoning code and permit property owners in rural residential areas to rent out a location for an RV on their property subject to certain conditions.

Conditions Outlined in SB 1013

The baseline criteria for RVs as rental dwellings include:

• A single-family dwelling that is occupied as the primary residence of the property owner must be sited on the property
• The RV must be owned or leased by the tenant
• The property owner must provide essential services to the RV space, which are defined as sewage disposal, water supply, electrical supply and, if required by applicable law, any drainage system

  SB 1013 prohibits the following:

• The RV cannot be utilized as a short-term rental
• RVs as rental dwellings are not allowed in urban reserves
• There are no other dwelling units on the property besides the primary single-family dwelling and no portion of the single-family dwelling is rented as a dwelling

The public hearing is scheduled to occur during the 9 a.m. BOCC meeting at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend. Residents can attend the meeting in person or participate virtually. Participants will have three minutes to provide testimony. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

For additional information, please visit www.deschutes.org/rvamendments.

Written testimony may be emailed to tanya.saltzman@deschutes.org.

Media Contact: Tanya Saltzman, Senior Planner, Community Development, (541) 388-6528