Bellingham, WA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Attached ADU rentals
- allowed citywide
- Detached ADU rentals
- barred in residential single
- Permits per site
- one, primary unit or ADU
- Review trigger
- reconsidered at 4% vacancy
Summary
Bellingham allows short-term rentals in attached ADUs citywide but bars them in detached ADUs on residential-single lots, permitting detached-ADU rentals only in commercial, multi-family and urban village areas.
a. Short-term rentals are permitted in legally established attached accessory dwelling units citywide. b. Short-term rentals are permitted in legally established detached accessory dwelling units in commercial, residential multi and urban village general use type areas. c. Short-term rentals are not permitted in detached accessory dwelling units in residential single general use type areas.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-06-015, passed June 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under BMC 20.10.037(B)(5), a short-term rental may operate in a legally established attached accessory dwelling unit anywhere in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington. Detached ADU short-term rentals are allowed only in commercial, residential multi and urban village general use type areas; they are flatly not permitted in residential single areas. Where a site's ADU qualifies, the owner may obtain one short-term rental permit for either the primary unit or the ADU, never both, and all other BMC ADU rules still apply. The city council must revisit the residential-single ban if the citywide vacancy rate reaches 4 percent.
Violations & Fines
Operating a short-term rental out of a detached ADU in a residential single area, or holding permits for both the primary unit and its ADU on one site, violates BMC 20.10.037(B)(5) and (B)(5)(d), enforceable under Chapter 20.52 BMC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I short-term rent my detached ADU in a Bellingham single-family neighborhood?
Can I rent out both my house and my ADU short-term at the same time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellingham
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