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Survey on Short-Term Rentals those things, utilities, professional routine cleaning, occasional deep cleaning (furniture& rugs, too)software to market and manage the STIR bookings, accounting software, and plenty of general maintenance to keep things in tip top shape as most STIR guests expect. We treat it as a business and want our guests to have an amazing experience when they stay with us. THE MARKET: Over the past four years, we have definitely felt a slow down in bookings. There are more STRs than there once were. Our local economy can only support so many. Exactly that number, I'm not sure, but we DO NOT need governmental regulation to determine that. The market will work that out on it's own; it's Economics 101-supply and demand. STIR business owners will need to either reduce their prices or significantly set themselves apart in order to stay competitive. Anyone who doesn't deliver a 5-star experience will not last long in this business anyway. There are plenty of other choices for people. I predict that some STIR owners will close their doors in the next couple of years due to the squeeze of increasing expenses and decreasing revenues and/or the sheer work and logistics it takes to run a GREAT STIR and be competitive. I also own several long term rentals in Kittitas County (since 2016/2017). 1 have seen ZERO negative effects on the rise in short term rentals on the long term rental market. ZERO. If anything, my last"leasing season"was the toughest one yet. I used to have wait lists and dozens of calls on every vacant rental. The last time I nearly had to lower the rental price AND I had an extra month of vacancy. We have more housing here than 10 years ago, more CWU housing and less college kids coming to school. A few more STRs than we had pre-2020 is not going to have much, if any, effect on the availability of housing. And, again, my prediction is that some STIR hosts will simply give up in the next couple of years. It's just not a cash cow in Ellensburg for most owners. MORE ON THE RENTAL MARKET: If part of the purpose of this committee is to prevent STRs taking housing out of the housing pool and thereby increasing rents, YOU NEED TO LOOK ELSEWHERE. Rents are increasing because costs are increasing across the board. Property taxes have increased SUBSTANTIALLY in the time we have owned rentals in Kittitas County. (For example, one of our four-bedroom houses had taxes of$2203 per year in 2017 and in 2024 that same house was $3555.) Irrigation water has almost doubled. Our homeowner's insurance has doubled as well.)A small monthly profit must be retained by the landlord to cover things like new paint and carpet, new HVAC, yard maintenance, and general repairs. Even as someone who is eight years into rental homeownership, there is never money left "for us". Ever. STRs in Kittitas County are not increasing rents for long term rentals -taxes, inflation and maintenance expectations are. And if legislation is passed on the state level that caps rental increases to a certain percentage each year, you can bet that small landlords will have no choice than to take full advantage of those EVERY year or not agree to long term leases. It's not sustainable otherwise. Small landlords will sell and large corporations will take over. IN CLOSING: Please consider that general economics is, and should be, at play in most industries. Rental markets are not an exception. The"good" hosts and landlords will prevail and the"bad" hosts and landlords will be pushed out. Moreover, our small local economy in Kittitas County cannot support a huge number of STRs. The not-so-great ones will close on their own, making room for the great ones to thrive. We have larger issues at play affecting housing overall, which should be focused on separately. We have larger issues affecting our local economy as well (like the lack of high-paying jobs and industries)which should be focused on separately. Let our STIR hosts do their jobs and provide more diverse lodging options for visitors to our amazing little valley! 180 My family and I always prefer to rent through AIRB&B or VRBO vs a hotel stay for our family 2/5/2025 11:31 AM vacations because it is so much more comfortable than a hotel and also it boosts the local economy as well. 181 Short term rentals in Upper Kittitas County work in Suncadia, but not within city limits. 2/5/2025 11:17 AM 182 The owner needs to be in charge. Tell your renters the rules and have them sign an agreement. 2/5/2025 10:39 AM Cover everything from where to put the garbage to what the speed limit is on your road and who has cameras up and the consequences for not following the rules. Airbnb and VRBO can evict them on the spot 183 1 often rent properties through Airbnb and VRBO myself in other communities and find them to 2/5/2025 10:33 AM be a better choice than hotels for traveling with the family. 184 Rentals are too high whether long term or short term. 2/5/2025 10:32 AM 185 No 2/5/2025 10:24 AM 186 If there are any STIR regulations, I would appreciate grandfathering in the ones in current 2/5/2025 9:29 AM operation. I do recommend occupancy restrictions, based on bedrooms or sleep capacity or whatever and strict noise or quiet hours, enforceable by the Sherriff. 74/87