The number of short-term rental units in Portland has soared over the past year, thanks to home-sharing services like Airbnb. But city planners are concerned that less than a quarter have so far been registered with the city.
Last year, the Housing Committee passed several regulations on short-term rentals, including a requirement to register with the city annually by Jan. 1.
Michael Russell, who heads Portland's Permitting and Inspections Department, says the penalty for failing to register by is $100 a day.
"We'd much rather have people come in and register and work with us collaboratively," Russell says. "So, it's time consuming for us to have to chase people to enforce the fine, it takes time. And nobody wants to pay a fine either."
Right now, Russell says, the most important thing is raising awareness about the new rule.