Differences according to location

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sunshine

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,124
Reaction score
0
Ok, so being a 'do-er' and pro-active, I've been checking into requirements to 'open' a B&B in our desired location. Wow! The first difference is that a "B&B" is 3 rooms or less. A "Guest Inn" is 4-6 rooms. A B&B requires very little paper work. A Guest Inn, requires a books worth of paper work, just to get the permit approved!
To get a Conditional Use Permit, (CUP) "We" have to submit site plans, and zoning and plat maps, and geo grade info, identify any geological hazards, Shoreline environment designation, and the list goes on!! AFTER everything is submitted and they determine the 'packet' of information is complete (which takes 30 days to determine) then each dept goes through it and determines if they can 'ok' it. Its a process that can take 3-6 months! Isn't that nuts!?!
AND over $1,300. for the CUP application, AND fees for the health dept, fees for the public works dept, and fees for the bldg dept. all in addition to the $1300.
And its a massive application process! I need all kinds of maps, and plans ect!! Gulp.... I'm not even sure where to find these things! I've been making a ton of calls to the county out there.
All I had to do here is fill out a license application and get a health dept inspection. "We 'aren't in Kansas anymore Toto!" (we aren't really in Kansas).
Location really does make a difference.
 
I had to file with the Secretary of State & Tax Dept ($25 per year) and get a City License (still $15 per year). Since I opened we now have zoning codes and building codes. Zoning - you must have at least 1 off-street parking place per guest room. I am on the Planning & Zoning and had that put in so the B & Bs would be good neighbors. I also ensured a B & B can go into any of the "zones". We are now on the County "hit list" for yearly permits - $50 per year.
State requirements are broken down into # of rooms. 6 or less no commercial kitchen required. Fire Code - 3 or less is just a residence and exempt. 4 - 6 rooms must have sprinkler system OR 2 interior staircases OR immediate outside access from each room OR a COVERED staircase to ground that is accessed by a door accessible to every room on the floor. IF guestrooms are on the third floor, the outside staircase (covered) in not an option, it is required. IF the innkeepers occupy the 3rd floor there is no requirement. Each County can also have requirements but City Limit requirement trump as long as they are same or more restrictive - just cannot be less than State requirements on anything.
 
Location makes a huge difference.
Good luck with all the applications!
 
Things have changed quite a lot here since we opened our doors 15+ yrs ago.
Lots more paperwork, restrictions and of course the beloved fees to pay.
Good luck with planning your next project.
 
that is some difficult rules. we have an escape staircase, but it doesn't need to be covered. we don't require sprinklers. We are in a catagory between "B&B Home" and "hotel."
 
Sounds like you want to start from scratch, but it sure would make sense (and cents) to buy an already existing one.
It's funny, in the state just below where you're looking, 1 & 2 room b&b are exempt from all the regulations a 3 or more room b&b has. It's just crazy making out there.
 
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?
 
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?.
BananaE29 said:
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?
Always better to be up front when it's your livelihood. If the inspector finds another room (online, doesn't even have to be in person) there goes hundreds of thousands of dollars out the window.
Then they have a very nice house they can rent on air bb.
 
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?.
BananaE29 said:
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?
Always better to be up front when it's your livelihood. If the inspector finds another room (online, doesn't even have to be in person) there goes hundreds of thousands of dollars out the window.
Then they have a very nice house they can rent on air bb.
.
No, what I'm saying is... get approval for three rooms, and after a year or so, go back to the city to get approval for a fourth room. I would think it would be easier to get approval once she is established, without having to go through all the hoops of trying to open with four.
 
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?.
BananaE29 said:
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?
Always better to be up front when it's your livelihood. If the inspector finds another room (online, doesn't even have to be in person) there goes hundreds of thousands of dollars out the window.
Then they have a very nice house they can rent on air bb.
.
No, what I'm saying is... get approval for three rooms, and after a year or so, go back to the city to get approval for a fourth room. I would think it would be easier to get approval once she is established, without having to go through all the hoops of trying to open with four.
.
Ah. Not what it sounded like. ;-)
 
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?.
BananaE29 said:
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?
Always better to be up front when it's your livelihood. If the inspector finds another room (online, doesn't even have to be in person) there goes hundreds of thousands of dollars out the window.
Then they have a very nice house they can rent on air bb.
.
No, what I'm saying is... get approval for three rooms, and after a year or so, go back to the city to get approval for a fourth room. I would think it would be easier to get approval once she is established, without having to go through all the hoops of trying to open with four.
.
In our area, we discovered that it was actually more complicated to ask for it later. We did and it all worked out, but we would have been better off to go for the whole banana the first time.
 
that is some difficult rules. we have an escape staircase, but it doesn't need to be covered. we don't require sprinklers. We are in a catagory between "B&B Home" and "hotel.".
WE - my B & B Assoc - managed to get the rules in the Fire Code changed to what they are for B & B. Did NOT get what we asked for (require portable metal ladders in each room for 6 or less) but at least we no longer are treated as if we were a hotel or motel or a rooming house. the Fire Marshal fought us tooth and nail and that covered was his idea - as if putting a roof over the top is going to keep ice and snow off the steps. Bureaucrats (especially appointed ones) - need I say more?
 
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?.
BananaE29 said:
Far be it from me to be sneaky :), but can you open with three and just kinda...sorta...add one in a year or so?
Always better to be up front when it's your livelihood. If the inspector finds another room (online, doesn't even have to be in person) there goes hundreds of thousands of dollars out the window.
Then they have a very nice house they can rent on air bb.
.
No, what I'm saying is... get approval for three rooms, and after a year or so, go back to the city to get approval for a fourth room. I would think it would be easier to get approval once she is established, without having to go through all the hoops of trying to open with four.
.
BananaE29 said:
No, what I'm saying is... get approval for three rooms, and after a year or so, go back to the city to get approval for a fourth room. I would think it would be easier to get approval once she is established, without having to go through all the hoops of trying to open with four.
Nope! They make you 'jump through all the hoops' even if you go back later, you have to start all over and go through the entire process and 'repay' the fees! They say its better to 'ask for the moon' and if you never do everything, its better and cheaper to lay it out there in the beginning.
 
Sounds like you want to start from scratch, but it sure would make sense (and cents) to buy an already existing one.
It's funny, in the state just below where you're looking, 1 & 2 room b&b are exempt from all the regulations a 3 or more room b&b has. It's just crazy making out there..
Breakfast Diva said:
Sounds like you want to start from scratch, but it sure would make sense (and cents) to buy an already existing one.
It's funny, in the state just below where you're looking, 1 & 2 room b&b are exempt from all the regulations a 3 or more room b&b has. It's just crazy making out there.
yes, starting from scratch. Any existing B&Bs that are for sale there are in pretty bad shape with really small outdated rooms that would cost a fortune to update, yet they want a fortune for it and not to mention the reviews.
The property we are looking at is in a premium location, super high tourism, and has tons of possibilities. And the price is extremely good!
 
Location makes a huge difference.
Good luck with all the applications!.
Madeleine said:
Location makes a huge difference.
Good luck with all the applications!
Thanks! Their tourism season now goes year round! They all average between 60-90% occupancy year round.
I have some really really helpful people out there who are so nice and are really helping me out. I feel like I have my own cheer-leading team out there. Isn't that nice?
 
Location makes a huge difference.
Good luck with all the applications!.
Madeleine said:
Location makes a huge difference.
Good luck with all the applications!
Thanks! Their tourism season now goes year round! They all average between 60-90% occupancy year round.
I have some really really helpful people out there who are so nice and are really helping me out. I feel like I have my own cheer-leading team out there. Isn't that nice?
.
[/quote]
Thanks! Their tourism season now goes year round! They all average between 60-90% occupancy year round.
I have some really really helpful people out there who are so nice and are really helping me out. I feel like I have my own cheer-leading team out there. Isn't that nice?
[/quote]
and you have a cheer-leading section here, too
 
I didn't even need to get inspected, 4 rooms or less no need in this state!!!
Now the county wanted me to go for having our land zone commercial, I said are you nuts? If some "big" company wanted to bye it, I would sell it for $$$ and all my neighbors would be pissed at them. They backed down and said ok, no need to changed the zoning.
 
I didn't even need to get inspected, 4 rooms or less no need in this state!!!
Now the county wanted me to go for having our land zone commercial, I said are you nuts? If some "big" company wanted to bye it, I would sell it for $$$ and all my neighbors would be pissed at them. They backed down and said ok, no need to changed the zoning..
Ice said:
I didn't even need to get inspected, 4 rooms or less no need in this state!!!
Now the county wanted me to go for having our land zone commercial, I said are you nuts? If some "big" company wanted to bye it, I would sell it for $$$ and all my neighbors would be pissed at them. They backed down and said ok, no need to changed the zoning.
That is correct Ice. But we also wanted to serve food to the public (special dinners at the time). That requires inspection. And I also welcomed it because I felt I could always learn from it. I'm already in a commercial zone, so that wasn't an issue. In fact, in this town, they won't let you open unless you are in a commercial district. CRAZY!
 
The best quote I have from my saga is the old geezer on the board of zoning appeals whose vote defeated my first attempt at a variance. "No. She'll fix up the place and then try to sell it for a profit"
 
We started from scratch and B&B's fall into a generic boarding house category here. The reems of paperwork for planning approval was over the top and costly. Vegetation plans of our plants and their names as well. Carparking for a residential lot 1 park for each room - length 5.5m. Owners 2 bays that could be in tandom but the guests can not.
The health regs for m2 for each room/no person occupancy is very strict. In all a B & B could only have a max no. of 5 guests. This has been risen to 6 guests now. All very unfair when airb..b and another similar company operate without such. In fact in our region one property has one an award as a accom provider - guests they take 9.
Not long after we opened the government power company notified all B&B's that we would be charged higher "commercial" rates in a policy change. This got quashed as we are residential and a large portion of power use is by the owners who live in their house too.
I would still start from scratch again and our battle to get special recognition for our unique accom industry is ongoing.
 
Back
Top