Washington city ends short-term rental ban after residents plead their case

A Washington city is changing its stance on short-term rentals.

The change is unfolding in Pasco, located about 130 miles southwest of Spokane, where the City Council voted unanimously to allow rentals listed on short-term rental platforms after residents lobbied for it, saying the additional income could help them remain in their homes.

The decision ends Pasco’s previous prohibition on short-term rentals.

The new regulations are expected to take effect in 2027, according to Apple Valley News Now.

Among the residents who pushed for the change was Bob Mangione, a local contracting business owner who was diagnosed with stage four renal cell carcinoma three years ago.

Mangione said the illness has left him unable to operate the company he has owned since 2009, placing his family’s home at risk.

“While we’re declaring faith in God and healing, unfortunately one of the tumors has gotten all the way to my spinal cord lining,” Mangione told the outlet.

How residents made the case for legal short-term rentals

Mangione plans to rent the family’s primary home and move into a workshop located elsewhere on the property.

He said the short-term rental income could help prevent the family from losing the house.

Another resident, Lynne McKee, told council members she lost her husband in October.

He was a 20-year Air Force retiree and Vietnam veteran, and his death also meant the loss of his military pay.

McKee said she hopes to list her property through Vrbo or another rental platform once the new ordinance takes effect.

Related: Canadian columnist: Regulate vacation rentals, don’t ban them

The unanimous vote moves Pasco away from an outright ban and toward a regulated market, following other U.S. communities that have recently created short-term rental licensing systems.

The 2027 start date gives city officials and prospective hosts several months to prepare before Pasco’s first legal short-term rentals begin operating.