Short-Term Rentals in Tacoma, WA

If you live in Tacoma or are thinking about moving there, short-term rentals are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Tacoma has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Tacoma requires short-term rentals that rent individual guest rooms to keep a chronological guest register with names, dates, and photo ID, and to retain those records for three years.

Key details: Applies to: STRs renting individual guest rooms. Record retention: 3 years, chronological order. Required at check-in: Valid photo ID. Open to inspection: Tacoma police, any time. Whole-house STRs: Excluded, governed by Title 13.

Failing to maintain the required guest register or retain records for three years is a licensing violation under Chapter 6B.140, and can lead to suspension or revocation of the transient accommodation license.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Tacoma requires the property owner to live in either the main house or the ADU before either one can be used as a short-term rental.

Key details: Occupancy required: Main house or ADU. Applies to: ADU short-term rentals. Cross-references: TMC § 13.06.080M standards. Absentee-owner rentals: Not allowed.

Operating a short-term rental at a property where the owner does not occupy one of the dwellings violates TMC § 13.06.080A.4.g and can result in denial or revocation of short-term rental approval.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Tacoma actively enforces its primary-residence-only rule requirements.

Host Presence Rule

For room-share short-term rentals, Tacoma requires the owner of record to live in the dwelling during the rental term.

Key details: Applies to: Room rentals within a dwelling. Requirement: Owner of record resides on-site. Whole-home rentals: Not covered by this rule. Citation: TMC § 13.06.080M.3.a.

Renting out guest rooms as a short-term rental without an owner of record residing on-site is a use-standard violation, subject to code enforcement action against the property.

Taxes & Fees

Tacoma sets a flat $75 annual license fee for transient accommodations, including short-term rentals renting individual guest rooms; the reviewed code adds no separate nightly occupancy tax.

Key details: License fee: $75.00 flat fee. License term: 1 year, renews annually. Applies to: STRs renting individual guest rooms. Nightly occupancy tax: None found in this chapter.

Operating a transient accommodation without paying the required $75.00 license fee is unlawful under Chapter 6B.140 and can result in denial, suspension, or revocation of the license.

Occupancy Limits

Tacoma's zoning code sets no separate headcount for short-term rentals: maximum occupancy follows the Minimum Building and Structures Code.

Key details: Zoning-code headcount: None set independently. Occupancy governed by: Minimum Building and Structures Code. Applies to: All short-term rental use types. Citation: TMC § 13.06.080M.3.d.

Exceeding the occupancy allowed under the Minimum Building and Structures Code for the dwelling can draw code enforcement action against the short-term rental operator.

The rules around occupancy limits in Tacoma lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Tacoma's short-term rentals rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Tacoma is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Tacoma's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.