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Marysville, WA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Use as short-term rental
Prohibited
Short-term rental defined as
Paid lodging under 30 consecutive nights
Owner-occupancy requirement
None (long-term rental allowed)
Governing table
MMC Section 22C.185.020, Table 1
First violation fine
$150 noncommercial / $250 commercial
Condo resale protection
City can't block ADU condo sales

Summary

Marysville's accessory dwelling unit code flatly bars using an ADU as a short-term rental, defined as lodging offered for a fee for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. MMC Section 22C.185.020's Table 1 pairs that ban with no owner-occupancy requirement, so an ADU can be rented long-term without the owner living on site, just never rented nightly.

Owner occupancy requirement for principal dwelling or accessory dwelling units: None. ... Use as short-term rental: Prohibited. ... "Short-term rental" means a lodging use, that is not a hotel or motel or bed and breakfast, in which a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, is offered or provided to a guest by a short-term rental operator for a fee for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. ... all accessory dwelling units shall also be subject to the condition that the use shall be discontinued if: (a) The accessory dwelling unit is substantially altered and no longer conforms with the plans approved by the community development director and the building official; or (b) The subject lot ceases to maintain the required parking spaces outlined in MMC Section 22C.130.030, Table 1.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4922912; v1 updated 2026-06-08; through 06-08-2026).

Full Breakdown

200, defines a 'short-term rental' as 'a lodging use, that is not a hotel or motel or bed and breakfast, in which a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, is offered or provided to a guest by a short-term rental operator for a fee for fewer than 30 consecutive nights,' so any ADU booking under that 30-night threshold falls under the prohibition regardless of the platform used to advertise it. The same table lists the owner-occupancy requirement for both the principal dwelling and the ADU as 'None,' so the ban isn't paired with a requirement that the owner live in either unit; an ADU can be leased as ordinary long-term housing, just never marketed as nightly or short-stay lodging.

The city also protects an ADU's resale value once the short-term-rental door is closed: subsection (3) bars Marysville from refusing to let a condominium unit be sold or conveyed separately from the main structure solely because it started life as an ADU. 030's Table 1, a hook the city could use against an ADU converted to unauthorized nightly rental use.

Violations & Fines

Advertising or operating an ADU as a nightly or short-term rental violates Table 1 of Section 22C.185.020 and is a Title 22C land use violation under MMC Section 4.02.040(3)(g): $150 for a first noncommercial violation, $250 if run as a business, rising to $300/$500 on a second violation within two years, and misdemeanor charges in Marysville municipal court for a third. The director can also order the unauthorized short-term-rental use discontinued outright.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rent out my Marysville ADU on Airbnb or VRBO?
No. Table 1 of MMC Section 22C.185.020 states that use of an accessory dwelling unit as a short-term rental is prohibited, and the city's definitions chapter, Section 22A.020.200, defines a short-term rental as lodging offered for a fee for stays under 30 consecutive nights, which covers typical Airbnb and VRBO bookings.
Can I still rent my ADU out long-term?
Yes. Table 1 only bans short-stay lodging under 30 nights; it sets no owner-occupancy requirement for the ADU or the primary home, so leasing the ADU as ordinary long-term housing, with a stay of 30 nights or more, is allowed under MMC Section 22C.185.020.
What happens if I run my ADU as a short-term rental anyway?
It's a Title 22C land use violation under MMC Section 4.02.040(3)(g), starting at $150 for a noncommercial violation or $250 if operated as a business, doubling on a second offense within two years, and becoming a misdemeanor on a third; the community development director can also order the rental use discontinued.
Does the short-term rental ban affect selling my ADU as a condo?
No. Subsection (3) of Section 22C.185.020 specifically bars the city from refusing to let a condominium unit be sold or conveyed separately from the main house just because it was originally built as an accessory dwelling unit; that protection is separate from the rental-use ban.

Sources & Official References

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