COEUR d'ALENE — City officials in Coeur d’Alene hope to have rules on the books related to vacation rentals before tourist season heats up.

Many websites now cater to individuals who wish to rent a home for a short period of time and city officials have noticed an increase in the number of vacation rentals throughout the city. However, vacation rentals are not allowed in residential zones and, since 1995, the city has relied solely on a legal interpretation from former City Attorney Nancy Stricklin on how short-term rentals of homes should be handled.

“The (Planning) commission wants to help move the ordinance forward quickly so that it could be in place around summertime to legalize vacation rentals in the city,” said Hilary Anderson, community planning director.

Under the draft ordinance, homeowners in the city who wish to rent their homes — for a minimum of two days and a maximum of 30 days — will be required to apply for a city-issued permit.

Anderson said there will be a fee for the short-term rental permit to cover administrative costs. The dollar figure of the fee, she added, has not yet been determined.

The permitting process, according to Anderson, allows neighbors within 100 feet of the rental home to have contact information for the homeowner in case a problem arises with someone renting their home. It also, she added, gives assurance to individuals renting the homes that they are staying in legal and safe accommodations.

Those assurances of safety, according to city documents, come from a checklist homeowners must complete and have approved before they are issued a permit.

If someone chooses to ignore the proposed ordinance and not obtain a permit, they may be charged a fine or face a misdemeanor charge.

The draft ordinance will be revised before the Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the topic, during which members of the public can voice their opinions, on March 14. Following the hearing, the draft ordinance will be presented to the city council for a vote.

“As always, the city council has the prerogative to direct staff to bring the ordinance back with revisions, or redirect it back to the Planning Commission for consideration of other items,” Anderson said.