If you’re thinking about buying a property in Central Oregon with plans to rent it out on a short-term basis, you need to understand the regulatory landscape before you make an offer. The rules are more complex than most buyers expect, they vary significantly between jurisdictions, and getting them wrong can mean fines, permit revocation, or discovering that the property you just bought can’t legally be used the way you planned.
This guide covers the current rules as of late 2025. Regulations in this space change frequently, so always verify current requirements with the relevant jurisdiction before making a purchase decision.
Bend City Short-Term Rental Regulations
Bend regulates short-term rentals (defined as rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days) through its Development Code and a permitting system. The city has taken an increasingly active approach to STR regulation over the past several years, and enforcement has ramped up significantly.
Permit Types
Bend classifies short-term rental permits into three types:
Type 1: Owner-Occupied
- The property must be the owner’s primary residence
- The owner must live on-site during the rental period (think renting out a spare room or an ADU while you’re home)
- Available in most residential zones
- No cap on the number of Type 1 permits citywide
- Annual permit fee applies
Type 2: Non-Owner-Occupied (Legacy)
- Allows whole-house short-term rental when the owner is not present
- Historically available in certain zones, but the city has capped the total number
- No new Type 2 permits are being issued in most zones as of 2024
- Existing permits can transfer with property sale, but check the specific conditions
- If a property has an active Type 2 permit, it adds meaningful value to the listing price
Type 3: Resort Zone
- Available only in designated resort zones within city limits
- These are relatively rare within Bend proper
- Different setback and operational requirements
Key Restrictions in Bend
- Maximum occupancy limits based on bedroom count (generally 2 per bedroom plus 2)
- Quiet hours enforcement (typically 10 PM to 7 AM)
- Parking requirements (one off-street space per bedroom rented)
- A local contact person must be available within 30 minutes to respond to complaints
- Properties must pass safety inspections
- Annual permit renewal required
- Operating without a permit carries fines starting at $1,000 per violation
What This Means for Buyers
If you’re looking to buy a property in Bend for vacation rental use, the most critical question is whether the property has an existing, transferable STR permit. A home with a Type 2 permit is significantly more valuable for investment purposes than an identical home without one. We’ve seen the permit premium add $30,000 to $75,000 to a property’s effective market value.
For properties without an existing permit, your realistic options within Bend city limits are Type 1 (owner-occupied, rent while you’re present) or exploring whether the property qualifies for a new permit under the current cap. Your real estate agent should be able to help you navigate this. Contact our team if you need guidance on specific properties.
Deschutes County Rules (Unincorporated Areas)
Properties outside city limits but within Deschutes County follow county regulations, which differ from Bend’s. The county has also tightened its approach to STRs in recent years.
- Short-term rentals are allowed in certain zone designations
- A county STR permit is required
- The county tracks complaints and can revoke permits for repeated violations
- Properties in rural residential zones may have different rules than those in exception areas
- Fire safety standards apply, particularly for properties in the Wildland-Urban Interface
The county planning department is the definitive source for whether a specific parcel can legally operate as a short-term rental. Check before you buy, not after.
Resort Community Exemptions
This is where things get more favorable for investors. Several resort communities in Central Oregon operate under resort zoning that explicitly allows short-term rentals. These communities were designed and approved with vacation rental use in mind, which means the regulatory path is much clearer.
Sunriver
Sunriver is Central Oregon’s largest resort community, with roughly 4,500 homes and condos. Short-term rentals have been part of Sunriver’s DNA since the community was developed in the 1960s. The Sunriver Resort Owners Association (SROA) allows short-term rentals in most areas, though individual homeowner associations within Sunriver may have additional rules.
Sunriver operates its own rental management programs, and several independent property management companies service the area. Typical gross rental income ranges from $40,000 to $90,000 per year depending on the property size, location within Sunriver, and management quality. Summer and winter holiday weeks are peak, with shoulder seasons seeing lower occupancy.
Caldera Springs
Located south of Sunriver, Caldera Springs is a newer, upscale resort community. Short-term rentals are allowed under the resort’s governing documents. Properties here command higher nightly rates (often $400 to $800+ per night in peak season) but the property values are also higher, so the yield math isn’t dramatically different from Sunriver on a percentage basis.
Eagle Crest
Eagle Crest Resort near Redmond allows short-term rentals throughout most of the community. Entry prices here are lower than Sunriver or Caldera Springs, making it a more accessible starting point for investors. Condos can be found in the $250,000 to $400,000 range, and single-family homes from $400,000 to $700,000. The resort offers on-site rental management.
Brasada Ranch
Brasada Ranch near Powell Butte allows short-term rentals and offers its own rental management program. This is a higher-end resort with correspondingly higher property values and nightly rates. The community is smaller than Sunriver, which can mean less competition among rental properties but also a smaller brand awareness footprint among travelers.
Tax Obligations
Short-term rental operators in Central Oregon are responsible for collecting and remitting several taxes:
Transient Room Tax (TRT): Bend charges 10.4% on rentals of fewer than 30 days. Deschutes County charges 9% on unincorporated-area rentals. These rates are subject to change, so verify current rates with the relevant tax authority.
State Lodging Tax: Oregon charges a 1.8% state lodging tax on all transient lodging.
Federal Income Tax: Rental income is taxable at your ordinary income rate. However, short-term rental operators may be able to deduct expenses including mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, management fees, maintenance, depreciation, and supplies. The IRS has specific rules about passive activity losses and material participation that affect how much of a rental loss you can deduct against other income. Talk to a CPA who understands short-term rental taxation.
Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit some taxes on your behalf, but you are ultimately responsible for ensuring all tax obligations are met. Keep meticulous records.
Insurance Requirements
Standard homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover short-term rental activity. You need either a commercial policy, a landlord policy with short-term rental endorsement, or a specialized vacation rental policy. Expect to pay 20% to 40% more than a standard homeowner’s policy.
Key coverage to ensure you have:
- Liability coverage (at least $1 million; $2 million is better)
- Property damage by guests
- Loss of rental income if the property becomes uninhabitable
- Content coverage for furnished units
Some management companies require minimum insurance levels as a condition of managing your property. Check their requirements before selecting a policy.
Management Options
You have three basic choices for managing a short-term rental in Central Oregon:
Self-management: You handle listing, guest communication, cleaning, maintenance, and issues. Saves the 20% to 30% management fee but requires significant time and local presence. Difficult if you don’t live in the area.
Full-service management company: Companies like Vacasa, Sunset Lodging (Sunriver-focused), and several local firms handle everything for 20% to 30% of gross revenue. They manage listing optimization, pricing, guest communication, cleaning, maintenance coordination, and tax remittance. Most investors who don’t live locally go this route.
Hybrid approach: You manage listings and guest communication (using tools like Hospitable or Guesty), and hire local cleaners and a handyman. Typical cost is 10% to 15% of gross revenue. Requires more involvement but retains more income.
Realistic Income Expectations
Every listing agent and property manager will show you best-case income numbers. Here’s what we actually see in practice across the Central Oregon market:
- Sunriver 3-bedroom home: $45,000 to $70,000 gross per year. After management (25%), cleaning, maintenance, and taxes, net before mortgage is roughly $25,000 to $40,000.
- Eagle Crest 2-bedroom condo: $20,000 to $35,000 gross per year. Net before mortgage roughly $12,000 to $20,000.
- Caldera Springs 4-bedroom home: $70,000 to $110,000 gross per year. Net before mortgage roughly $40,000 to $65,000.
- Bend home with STR permit: $35,000 to $60,000 gross per year. Net before mortgage roughly $20,000 to $35,000.
These numbers assume competent management, competitive pricing, and a well-maintained property. New listings often take 6 to 12 months to build enough reviews to achieve stabilized occupancy rates.
Enforcement Trends
Both Bend and Deschutes County have increased enforcement of STR regulations. Bend now uses third-party monitoring services that scan rental platforms to identify unpermitted listings. Fines for operating without a permit start at $1,000 and escalate for repeat violations.
The trend is clearly toward more regulation, not less. Neighboring cities in Oregon have implemented their own STR restrictions, and state-level legislation around vacation rentals continues to evolve. Factor this regulatory trajectory into your investment analysis.
What to Verify Before Purchasing
Before making an offer on a property you intend to use as a short-term rental, verify these items:
- Current zoning designation and whether STRs are allowed
- Whether an existing STR permit is attached to the property and whether it transfers
- HOA or community restrictions on rental activity (minimum stay requirements, guest limits)
- Current tax obligations and rates
- Insurance availability and cost for your specific property
- Any pending regulatory changes in the jurisdiction
- Actual rental income history (ask for Schedule E or management company statements, not projections)
- Condition and furnishing costs if the property needs updates to compete
Our team works with investors regularly and can help you evaluate the rental potential of specific properties. We’ll give you the real numbers, not the optimistic projections. Check our current listings to see what’s available in resort communities and STR-eligible areas.