Washington Short-Term Rental Laws by City (2026)
Short-term rental rules in Washington are set city by city — a property that is legal to rent nightly in one town can be prohibited a few miles away. The table below covers 4 Washington cities (4 human-verified against official sources), with each city's legal status, permit cost, and last-verified date.
Statewide short-term rental rules in Washington
Washington regulates short-term rentals statewide through chapter 64.37 RCW (effective 2019): operators must register with the Department of Revenue and remit all applicable lodging-related taxes (unless a platform remits for them), carry at least $1 million in primary liability insurance or book through a platform providing equal coverage, and meet consumer-safety requirements including carbon monoxide alarms and posted emergency information. There is no STR-specific state license -- registration happens through the general state business license/tax registration -- and Washington has no preemption law, so cities and counties may freely impose their own permits, caps, and zoning. Stays under 30 nights are subject to retail sales tax (6.5% state portion plus local rates) and location-based lodging taxes, which Airbnb and Vrbo collect as marketplace facilitators. City and county rules apply on top of state law -- check your local market's page.
Full statewide rules: permits, taxes & enforcement
Washington regulates short-term rentals statewide through chapter 64.37 RCW (effective 2019): operators must register with the Department of Revenue and remit all applicable lodging-related taxes (unless a platform remits for them), carry at least $1 million in primary liability insurance or book through a platform providing equal coverage, and meet consumer-safety requirements including carbon monoxide alarms and posted emergency information. There is no STR-specific state license -- registration happens through the general state business license/tax registration -- and Washington has no preemption law, so cities and counties may freely impose their own permits, caps, and zoning. Stays under 30 nights are subject to retail sales tax (6.5% state portion plus local rates) and location-based lodging taxes, which Airbnb and Vrbo collect as marketplace facilitators. City and county rules apply on top of state law -- check your local market's page.
Reviewed by the STR Rule Watch research team against 8 official sources. How we verify data
Washington statewide STR rules at a glance
| Legal status | Allowed with permit |
|---|---|
| Permit required | Yes |
| Permit name | Washington State business license / Department of Revenue tax registration (UBI) |
| Permit fee | $90 |
| Total occupancy taxes | ~6.97% of gross revenue |
| Insurance | Yes. RCW 64.37.050 requires operators to maintain primary liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 in the aggregate covering the short-term rental dwelling unit, or to conduct each transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater primary liability coverage (e.g., Airbnb AirCover / Vrbo liability programs). |
| Enforcement | 80 RCW. |
| Current rules effective | 2019-07-28 |
State law & local authority
No statewide preemption. Chapter 64.37 RCW sets baseline tax, consumer-safety, and insurance rules but contains no clause limiting local authority, and RCW 64.37.020 expressly ties operators' tax duties to 'the jurisdiction in which the short-term rental is located.' Washington cities and counties retain full zoning and licensing power over STRs -- they may require local licenses, cap unit counts, restrict zones, or ban STRs outright (Seattle, Bellevue, Chelan County, San Juan County and many others have their own regimes). Bills to add a state-authorized local-option STR excise tax (SB 5334, SB 5576, HB 2559) have repeatedly failed, leaving the state framework unchanged since 2019.
State-level taxes
| Tax | Rate | Who collects |
|---|---|---|
| Retail sales tax on lodging (state portion)Stays under 30 consecutive nights are retail lodging sales; local sales tax and location-based lodging taxes (special hotel/motel taxes, and the convention and trade center tax in King County) apply on top, all administered by DOR at combined location rates. Marketplace platforms (Airbnb since Oct 15, 2015; Vrbo and others under the marketplace facilitator law) collect and remit state and local retail sales tax, special hotel/motel taxes, and convention and trade center taxes on facilitated bookings; hosts collect on direct bookings. | 6.5% | varies |
| Business & occupation (B&O) tax -- Retailing classificationPaid by the operator on gross rental receipts (not charged to guests) via excise tax return, even when a platform collects the sales tax; the small business B&O tax credit may reduce or eliminate the amount due. | 0.471% | host |
Enforcement & penalties
Consumer-safety requirements (RCW 64.37.030) are enforced locally: the city or county attorney sends a warning letter for a first violation; subsequent violations are class 2 civil infractions under chapter 7.80 RCW. Tax registration and remittance are enforced by the Department of Revenue with standard excise tax penalties and interest. Platforms may not do business in Washington unless in compliance with chapter 64.37 RCW (RCW 64.37.040(1)).
First consumer-safety violation: warning letter from the city or county attorney. Subsequent violations: class 2 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW (base penalty $125 per infraction plus statutory assessments). Unregistered or unremitted lodging taxes draw standard DOR penalties and interest.
Statewide sources
- RCW Chapter 64.37 -- Short-Term Rentals (Washington State Legislature)retrieved July 10, 2026
- RCW 64.37.050 -- Liability insuranceretrieved July 10, 2026
- RCW 64.37.030 -- Consumer safetyretrieved July 10, 2026
- HB 1798 (2019) bill summary -- Short-term rentals (2019 c 346)retrieved July 10, 2026
- WA Dept. of Revenue -- Lodging guide: Personal home rentalsretrieved July 10, 2026
- WA Dept. of Revenue -- Airbnb to collect and send taxes on behalf of hostsretrieved July 10, 2026
- HB 2559 (2026) bill summary -- local-option STR excise tax for affordable housingretrieved July 10, 2026
- SB 5576 (2025-26) bill summary -- local-option STR lodging taxretrieved July 10, 2026
| City | Status | Permit fee | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camas | Permit required | $50 | July 10, 2026 |
| Olympia | Permit required | $116.42 | July 21, 2026 |
| Seattle | Permit required | $75 | July 12, 2026 |
| Vancouver | Permit required | $250 | July 12, 2026 |
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This page is informational only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Regulations change frequently — verify current requirements with each jurisdiction before operating. HOA and condo rules may prohibit short-term rentals regardless of city law — if your property is in an association, review Washington HOA law and your CC&Rs before listing.