Dear HomeAway Partner,

Big hotel chains are bringing their fight to limit lodging options to the State of Washington, proposing the most aggressive statewide regulations on vacation rentals in the country.

Next Tuesday, February 12, the Washington State Legislature will consider a bill, written by hotels, that places a variety of onerous regulations on vacation rentals with the ultimate goal of making sure that travelers have only one option in Washington state: an expensive hotel room. Among other things, this bill would:

  • Require many vacation rentals to adhere to the same health and safety codes as Washington’s largest hotels
  • Require all vacation rental operators to post a new license number on all advertisements, a number which could be used to identify your name, phone number, and address
  • Encourage cities and counties to enact additional restrictions or even outright bans on vacation rentals

Your voice is badly needed on Tuesday. Tell lawmakers to protect vacation rental owners from out-of-state hotel chains and reject HB 1798.

Please take a moment to send a message to the House Business Committee, asking them to reject this attempt to limit travelers’ options and put vacation rentals out of business. You can send a message by clicking here.

Most importantly, we need to show legislators that vacation rentals are an important part of Washington state’s communities. If you can attend the hearing at 1:30pm on Tuesday, February 12 at the State Capitol in Olympia, please reply to this message for further information.

Thank you for being a HomeAway partner. We look forward to working with you to keep Washington state’s tourism economy open for all.

Thank you,

HomeAway Government Affairs

Communications pertaining to local regulations and survey requests are sent by HomeAway in an effort to assist homeowners, property managers, and short-term rental communities to better understand and participate in policymaking. This is a public service announcement from HomeAway. If you have questions, please do not call or email HomeAway®, VRBO®, or VacationRentals.com™ customer support but instead visit the Short-term Rental Advocacy Center website:www.stradvocacy.org. HomeAway encourages all managers and owners to become knowledgeable and comply with the regulations governing short-term rentals in their individual municipalities and states. 

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I am writing to ask you to reject House Bill 1798.

I almost LOST my HOME to FORCLOSURE! a couple years ago.

If it were not for STR I could NOT make my mortgage Payments.

I was going to be a statistic of life.

We do not need more regulation, we need to enforce the existing regulations we have in place for Noise, nuisance properties. we are already zones to death.

Now I make my Mortgage payments. Local taxes support schools roads and social services.

I do accommodate groups coming into my area to spend money. Helping the local economy. restaurants grocery stores and so on.

Stop and think you are limiting choices of our "money spending" tourists.

I collect and remit Lodging taxes, Pay Home Owners real estate taxes, Income tax, stimulate the local economy, resultants tourism, I have Hired a cleaning company, Home maintenance, and other consultants.

I truly believe I have a right to make a living. I am not hurting anyone no complaints.

I understand why big hotel chains wrote this bill. It unfairly disadvantages vacation rental operators like me, with the end result of limiting the options available to travelers in Washington state. It would put many vacation rental homeowners into the same category as Seattle’s largest hotels when it comes to state regulations, meaning expensive, unnecessary property modifications and a higher cost of business for vacation rental homeowners. Ultimately, this bill will severely harm small vacation rental hosts like myself for no reason.

Local communities across Washington state have enacted ordinances to make sure lodging, housing, and neighborhood needs in different cities and counties are met. HB 1798 takes Seattle’s law and expands it statewide, painting Gig Harbor, Ellensburg, Long Beach, Pullman, and every other Washington state community with the same brush. As homeowners and property managers who live and work in Washington state, we know that our local lawmakers are better equipped to make these decisions.

Vacation rentals are an important part of Washington state’s tourism economy, and often the only affordable option for traveling families. Please help keep our doors open and reject the hotels’ attempt to stamp out the competition. We’re counting on you!

Thank you for voting NO on HB 1798.

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5 years ago
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