Coeur d'Alene, ID Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- ADU used for less than 30-day stays (§ 17.06.660 L)
- Permit
- Required; issued to fee owner, expires March 31 yearly
- Impact fee
- Required before a post-effective-date ADU is rented short term
- Concurrent rental
- ADU and principal dwelling cannot both be short-term rentals
- Response time
- Responsible party responds within sixty (60) minutes
- Permit-free rental
- No more than fourteen (14) days per year, two stays
Summary
In the City of Coeur d'Alene, an ADU used for less than 30-day stays falls under the short-term rental article in chapter 17.08. The owner needs a City permit, must pay the required impact fee for an ADU created after the article took effect, and cannot rent the ADU and the main house short term at the same time.
L. Short-Term Rentals: If an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is going to be used for less than 30-day stays, the owner shall comply with the rules of short-term rental requirements in chapter 17.08, article X of this title. ... 17.08.1040: STANDARDS: ... A. Accessory Dwelling Units And Properties With Multiple Dwelling Units: ... ... 2. After the effective date of this article, an ADU may only be used as a short-term rental if the required impact fee is paid for the ADU. Once the impact fee is paid, either the principal dwelling or ADU on the property must be occupied by a majority owner of the property or an immediate family member of the property owner more than six (6) months out of any given year. 3. A principal dwelling and its associated ADU may not both be rented out concurrently as short-term rentals. 4. For properties with more than one dwelling unit, including multiple lots developed as a single parcel, only one dwelling unit per property may be used as a short-term rental at any one time.
Full Breakdown
Section 17.06.660 L of the Coeur d'Alene Municipal Code says that if an accessory dwelling unit is going to be used for less than 30-day stays, the owner shall comply with the short-term rental requirements in chapter 17.08, article X. Section 17.08.1020 defines a short-term rental as a residential dwelling rented for thirty (30) days or fewer, sometimes called a vacation rental, and excludes bed-and-breakfast facilities, RV parks, campgrounds, hotels and motels. Long-term tenants are contemplated separately: § 17.06.650 A.1 lists rental income through tenants in either the ADU or the principal unit as a purpose of ADUs.
The ADU-specific limits are in § 17.08.1040 A. After the effective date of the article, an ADU can be used as a short-term rental only if the required impact fee is paid for the ADU, and then either the principal dwelling or ADU must be occupied by a majority owner or an immediate family member of the owner more than six (6) months out of any given year. A principal dwelling and its associated ADU may not both be rented out concurrently as short-term rentals, and on any property with more than one dwelling unit only one unit can be a short-term rental at any one time.
The permit rules come with it. Section 17.08.1030 requires a permit issued to the fee owner for each dwelling, filed with the City Clerk with a fee set by resolution of the City Council and an annual self-inspection checklist. Permits expire March 31, renewals are due March 1, and short-term rentals are not a grandfathered use. A dwelling can be rented without a permit for no more than fourteen (14) days per calendar year, divided into no more than two (2) stays.
Operating duties are strict. A responsible party must be reachable twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week and must respond to complaints within sixty (60) minutes. Guests cannot exceed the definition of family, guests of an occupant cannot stay overnight, and no recreational vehicle, travel trailer or tent can add sleeping areas. An ADU built after the effective date used short term needs one off-street parking space beyond the principal dwelling's, and all advertising must include the City permit number and the maximum number of vehicles the off-street spaces hold. Section 17.08.1040 J permits short-term rental as a right in all residential and commercial zones, MH-8 and DC.
Violations & Fines
Under § 17.08.1050, offering or operating a short-term rental without a City permit is unlawful. A first offense carries a civil penalty in an amount established by resolution of the City Council; any subsequent offense is a misdemeanor under § 1.28.010. For three or more violations in a calendar year, the City Clerk can revoke the owner's permits and bar new permits for up to three years, with a written appeal to a neutral Hearing Officer due within ten days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my Coeur d'Alene ADU on a nightly basis?
Can I rent the ADU and the main house at the same time?
Can I rent without a permit for a few nights?
When does the short-term rental permit expire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coeur d'Alene
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