Oregon beach town becomes first U.S. destination to audit STR access for travelers with disabilities

Key Takeaways

Rockaway Beach, Oregon has completed the first destination-wide STR accessibility audit in the United States
The city created a licensing cap exception for certified accessible short-term rentals
The city’s cap currently sits at 420 licenses, up from an earlier 120-unit ceiling

A small Oregon coast town just became the first U.S. destination to achieve a milestone that’s reshaping accessible travel.

Rockaway Beach — a Tillamook County community of roughly 1,300 people located roughly 85 miles outside of Portland — has completed the first destination-wide accessibility audit of short-term rentals in the United States, a milestone that could set a new compliance benchmark for STR markets across the country.

According to the Tillamook County Pioneer, the audit evaluates short-term rental properties against accessibility standards, with qualifying listings encouraged to join Becoming RentABLE — a national platform that promotes accessible vacation rentals to travelers with disabilities.

The program was developed by City Planner Abram Tapia to identify licensed short-term rentals in Rockaway Beach that meet baseline accessibility standards, then connect those properties with nationwide promotional reach.

Accessible travel remains one of tourism’s biggest gaps. Many travelers struggle to find short-term rentals with clear and reliable accessibility information. When those properties are easier to find, destinations can attract more visitors and increase local spending.

An audit found that nearly 75 percent of reviewed STRs contained barriers that would prevent a large segment of travelers with mobility disabilities from accessing the accommodation.

However, the report also highlighted substantial opportunities for growth without adding new STR inventory or issuing additional permits.

“Most destinations have no idea how many accessible STR options they actually have,” said Lorraine Woodward, CEO of Becoming rentABLE. “Rockaway Beach decided to move beyond assumptions and gather real data. What they discovered is that accessibility isn’t just about inclusion, it’s a significant economic opportunity.”

“Rockaway Beach has always been a welcoming retreat where people come to unwind and appreciate the beauty of our coastline,” Mayor Charles McNeilly added, per the outlet.

“Our partnership with Becoming rentABLE demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that this experience is accessible to everyone. By communicating the accessibility features in our short-term rentals, we are confirming our identity as an inclusive and vibrant community,” he added.

Rockaway Beach’s offers a STR cap exception to accessible properties

The initiative ties directly into a broader city push.

Rockaway Beach had already carved out a cap exception for accessible STRs in its licensing code.

Oregon coastal town leads U.S. in STR accessibility audit — © 2026 REWire Media LLC. All rights reserved.

The area’s planning commission recommended in early 2025 that the City Council amend the ordinance to allow limited exemptions for properties certified as highly accessible.

That structural carve-out makes Rockaway Beach unusual, as most STR-capped markets treat every license the same, regardless of whether the property serves guests with disabilities.

The city’s cap currently sits at 420 licenses, up from an earlier 120-unit ceiling, and renewals now require a minimum of 30 rental days per year under Ordinance 2026-03 adopted in February.

No other U.S. destination has completed a comparable audit of its entire STR inventory against disability-access criteria.

Whether other coastal markets with hard caps — and waiting lists — follow Rockaway’s lead may depend on how much the city’s accessible-listing pipeline actually grows once audited properties appear on the national platform.

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