City of Portland OR Logbook Requirement

[Trace387]

Hello,

For our short term rental permit, we are required by the City of Portland to:

"You must keep and maintain a guest log book. Record the names and home addresses of guests, guest’s license plate numbers if traveling by car, dates of stay and the room assigned to each guest. The log must be available for inspection by City staff upon request."

I have not done this for the 2+ years of our hosting and cannot imagine guests complying if I did put out a logbook.  Almost all of our guests self check in and out.  The logbook would have everyone's info open to any other guest who stayed.  I could ask each guest for the info and keep the book with myself but I still feel that is rather intrusive.  Has anyone dealt with this?

[M199]

@Trace387 

Does this apply To hotels, hotels, etc?  Are private STR included?  If, Airbnb is included, I would like to suggest...

Does the requirement define if it has to be paper based?  Why not as part of your house rules require that  guests provide this information privately that you could detail and record.  I would also make it clear in my listing that it is required by law.  I would also provide the guests with a written text/message that due to privacy legislation, the information will not be divulged, except as required by law.  You may want to get a lawyer to draft the wording.  Good Luck!

[Kathy1120]

@Trace387  Hi Trace, I logged in to this Community Center for the first time for that same issue.  I've just started hosting recently, and I'm filling out the registration papers for the first time.  

I don't think "guest log book" means that it is an open book inside the guest room (unlike "guest book").  But I'm still stunned by this requirement that I keep such a log of the guests.  At first I thought that surely if there was a reason to know, that Airbnb could provide the address associated with the traveler and their payment.  But as you pointed out, it says that it must be available for inspection by City Staff. 

I guess I'll have to paste that verbiage into a message to each future guest (so they don't think it is me that is unduly nosy).  Some guests don't even read and respond to all messages.  But at least I'd have the message trail to prove I asked for it.

It sounds unreasonable, because Airbnb has guest info, if there was a problem that needed investigating.   I wonder what issue/event brought about that requirement?  But, hopefully, a guest shouldn't be too freaked out, since they also know my address, and can see my car's license plate!

[Heather1463]

I ask every guest and every one has complied. 

[Cherrish0]

I'm preparing to open a bed and breakfast in Grand Island NY. They have similar laws. I have a bed and breakfast and whole house rental in Niagara Falls NY and this information is not required. Like you I feel that this is invasive. There's a Driver's Privacy Protection Act that I would think requires specific measures be taken by whomever is collecting this information, including ensuring it is secured and not accessible to others. To my knowledge, Airbnb or other platforms don't offer any training to hosts regarding these security requirements. Where are hotels do have training and also secure storage of such information. This leads me to believe that there is opportunity here for either this requirement to be challenged or Airbnb and other similar platforms to improve their controls when it comes to the DPPA and locations that require license plate #'s to be logged.

[Nick2847]

Hi,

Just wanted to add a link to the Portland city rules regarding this for anyone interested. I'm a guest staying in Portland and have also never seen this before: https://www.portland.gov/bds/astr-permits/maintain-astr-permits