Submitted by Angela Dorsey-Kockler, Host2Host Board Member, Marketing & Communications Committee Chair and Short-Term Rental Host in Southeast Portland.

Short-term Rental (STR) Owner/Manager and Host2Host Member, Angela Dorsey-Kockler, has found an easy and proactive way to engage with neighborhoods to help build supportive relationships for the future. Here she describes how she came to do this outreach, why it’s important and some key tips on how to begin your own efforts.

Short-term Rental Environment

As a member of Host2Host, and a consumer of various STR forums and podcasts, I began to hear more and more stories about municipalities around the country taking the ax to STR rental permits and opportunities, and that started to shift how I was thinking about my own next moves regarding a second investment property. It no longer became a question of whether or not I could finance it, but where in the world would I even be allowed to have one.

I currently own/manage a STR on my own property here in Portland, OR. Our city allows two types of permits - A or B. Both require the owner to live onsite at least 270 days out of the year, and the difference between A and B are simply how many bedrooms you list for the STR (A: 1 or 2, B: 3-5 bedrooms).

Portland, OR was one of the first cities in the country to develop a permit system like this (and share permit details with the OTAs), and as such, our city has a way to responsibly regulate the number, type and behavior of STRs. So, on the whole, regulations can be a very good thing - they make sure everyone is playing by the same rules, minimize adverse impacts to our direct neighbors, and city programs can share in the wealth that we generate.

Many STR operators here support and appreciate these basic regulations as they raise the tide for all of us to have a well-functioning STR economy and minimize impacts on our direct neighbors, housing inventory, etc.

Status of City Regulations

Unfortunately, some municipalities are getting into the regulations a little late and are more focused on damage control. These cities around the country (especially in destination locales), that haven’t been actively managing STRs with regulations, are now playing catch-up and trying to reign in the problems of outsized/loud parties, strains on long-term housing inventory and lack of contributions to social programs.

Regardless of which city you live in, I believe there is great value in engaging with and conversing not only with your direct neighbors, but neighborhoods as a whole. There are many perceptions out there regarding STRs, and not all of them are positive (surprise!). However, by engaging in proactive conversations, we help our broader neighborhoods better understand this industry, learn about constructive regulations, appreciate the value that STRs bring to our little neighborhoods (vs. some large hotel, for example), and how we can contribute to social programs of our cities (for example, in Portland, OR, we have a $4/night fee - not paid by hotels - that goes directly to the city’s houselessness fund).

Reaching Out to Neighbors

Since I feel like STRs have a lot to boast about regarding impact to our neighborhoods, I decided to reach out to neighborhoods in southeast Portland and inquire about being added to their agendas to share a presentation about our industry. We have a great slideshow created by Robert Jordan and Robert Hertert, (fellow Host2Host members) that I was able to adapt and personalize with my own story and examples. I just did a simple search online to find the contact information for our many neighborhood associations in the area, and reached out to ask to be added to their agendas.

In my initial e-mail, I humanized myself. Not only did I present myself as an STR owner, but also an engaged community member - mom, PTA president, neighborhood emergency volunteer, etc. I’m not just a nameless, faceless, greedy STR owner - I am an engaged neighbor wanting to facilitate a discussion and answer questions. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that truly, a lot of these neighborhood associations are volunteer-run, and are usually eager to have speakers/topics to offer to their attendees. Because most of these associations hold monthly meetings on Zoom, it is quite easy to “show up” for a presentation and provide a positive interaction between the STR world and our neighbors.

Outreach Outcomes

I can’t underscore enough how positive these presentations have been. It doesn’t hurt that our city has strong regulations in place so STRs don’t cause as much concern here as they may in less-regulated jurisdictions, but people are generally interested and curious about this industry and how it operates. I truly believe that getting out in front, building those positive relationships, making attendees aware that we even have professional membership associations (hello, Host2Host), ensures greater comfort with this nascent industry and encourages a friendliness and cooperative spirit that would be hard to imagine otherwise.

If you would be interested in approaching your own neighborhood to initiate some similar conversations and want our help, please reach out to Host2Host or even myself, and I’d be happy to discuss the ins and outs. Being proactive can oftentimes be so much easier than being reactive.

Get involved and start a new friendship with your neighborhoods now! You, and your fellow STR hosts, will be glad you did.