Short-Term Rentals in Bellingham, WA (2026)

10 verified short-term rentals rules for Bellingham, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Permit Requirements

Bellingham regulates short-term rentals (residential dwelling or portion thereof rented for fewer than 30 consecutive nights) under BMC 20.10.037, adopted by Ordinance 2018-11-024 and effective May 5, 2019. Every STR operator must obtain a Bellingham STR permit issued by the Planning Director through the Permit Center (210 Lottie Street). Permits come in three classifications keyed to zone and primary-residence status: Type I ($370 application fee) for residential-zone primary-residence STRs of two bedrooms or fewer, Type II ($550) for commercial or Urban Village zone STRs (including primary residences of up to five bedrooms or non-primary in those zones), and Type III-A ($847) for non-primary-residence STRs in commercial / Urban Village zones with up to five bedrooms. Operators must also hold a City of Bellingham business license, register with the Washington Department of Revenue Business License Service, and comply with statewide RCW Chapter 64.37 operator duties (24/7 contact, CO alarms, $1,000,000 primary liability insurance).

Bellingham Requires STR Permit Under BMC 20.10.037 (Type I, II, or III-A) Plus City Business License, Safety Inspection, and Whatcom/State Tax Registration

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Bellingham does not codify STR-specific quiet hours. STR guests are subject to the citywide Public Disturbance Noise Ordinance in BMC 10.24.120, which prohibits frequent, repetitive, or continuous sounds that unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort, and repose of others in residentially zoned areas. Specific public-disturbance sounds include portable audio equipment audible more than 50 feet from the source. BMC 20.10.037 separately requires every STR to be operated in a way that will prevent unreasonable disturbances to nearby residents, and the operator must designate a local contact person who lives within an hour's drive of Bellingham and is available 24/7 to respond. Repeat noise violations can support STR permit revocation.

Bellingham STR Guests Subject to BMC 10.24.120 Public Disturbance Noise Ordinance; STR Permit Conditioned on Preventing Unreasonable Disturbances

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Short-term rentals in Bellingham carry the standard Washington lodging tax stack. The Washington state retail sales tax is 6.5% (RCW 82.08.020) plus the Bellingham local sales tax (2.6%), producing a combined retail sales tax of approximately 9.1% on lodging stays under 30 consecutive nights (rate published quarterly by WA DOR). On top of that, Whatcom County imposes a 2% state-shared basic lodging tax under RCW 67.28.180 (credited against the state sales tax) and a 2% special hotel/motel tax under RCW 67.28.181 (additive). STR operators must register a Washington Business License through DOR, hold a City of Bellingham business license, pay the BMC 20.10.037 STR permit fee ($370 Type I, $550 Type II, or $847 Type III-A), and file combined excise tax returns through the My DOR portal. Renewals are $250 due before January 1 of even-numbered years.

Bellingham STR Tax Stack: ~9.1% Combined State + Local Sales Tax + Whatcom 2% Special Lodging + State-Shared Lodging + Permit Fees ($370-$847)

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Parking Rules

BMC 20.10.037 requires every short-term rental to provide at least one off-street parking space for guests on site during the guest stay. The Planning Director may, through a documented parking analysis, determine that on-street or nearby parking may be substituted for the on-site requirement. This applies on top of the underlying off-street parking standards in BMC Chapter 20.12 (Parking and Loading) that govern the residential or lodging use generally. Site plans submitted with the STR permit application must show parking and STR configuration. Bellingham does not impose a per-bedroom parking ratio for STRs.

Bellingham STRs Must Provide At Least One Off-Street Parking Space for Guests; Planning Director May Substitute Through Parking Analysis (BMC 20.10.037)

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

BMC 20.10.037 imposes a hard per-stay guest cap on every Bellingham STR: no more than two guests, excluding children five years old and under, are permitted per bedroom per guest stay. The bedroom count itself is also capped by permit type: Type I permits (residential-zone primary residence) allow up to two bedrooms; Type II and Type III-A permits (commercial / Urban Village zones) allow up to five bedrooms. Additional occupancy constraints come from the Washington State Building Code (RCW Chapter 19.27 and Chapter 51-50 WAC), which sets occupant loads and means-of-egress requirements. CO alarm certification under RCW 19.27.530 (referenced by RCW 64.37.030) is required for life-safety compliance.

Bellingham Caps STR Guests at Two Per Bedroom (Children Under 5 Excluded) and Limits Permits to 2 or 5 Bedrooms Depending on Type (BMC 20.10.037)

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Bellingham does not impose a city-specific STR insurance dollar amount above the statewide floor. Every short-term rental operator in Washington - including Bellingham - must comply with RCW 64.37.050, which requires the operator to maintain primary liability insurance to cover the short-term rental dwelling unit in the aggregate of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000), or conduct each short-term rental transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater primary liability insurance coverage. Bellingham applicants must demonstrate insurance compliance to obtain a Type I, Type II, or Type III-A permit under BMC 20.10.037, and the policy must respond to claims arising from STR use specifically (standard homeowners policies typically exclude commercial short-term-rental use).

Bellingham STRs Must Carry $1,000,000 Primary Liability Insurance Under State Law RCW 64.37.050 (Or Use Platform Providing Equivalent)

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Bellingham imposes a hard annual night cap on whole-unit STR rentals in residential zones under BMC 20.10.037: the dwelling unit may be rented as a whole unit no more than 95 days per year. This is paired with the 270-day primary-residence requirement (the owner or long-term renter must occupy the unit at least 270 days per year), so a residential-zone whole-unit STR effectively cannot operate more than 95 nights regardless of demand. Room rentals within a primary residence (where the host is present) have no day limit. STRs in commercial and Urban Village zones (Type II / Type III-A) are not subject to the 95-day cap and have no annual rental day limits. Bellingham's 95-day cap is materially more restrictive than most Washington cities and reflects the city's housing-supply concerns.

Bellingham Caps Whole-Unit Residential-Zone STR Rentals at 95 Nights Per Year; Room Rentals in Primary Residences and Commercial / Urban Village STRs Are Uncapped

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Registration Rules

Bellingham operates a layered STR registration system. Every operator must (1) register with the Washington Department of Revenue Business License Service (bls.dor.wa.gov) and obtain a Unified Business Identifier (UBI), (2) obtain a City of Bellingham business license through City Finance, (3) apply for a BMC 20.10.037 STR permit (Type I, II, or III-A) through the Planning Department at the Permit Center, (4) pass a safety inspection (smoke alarms, CO detectors, egress), and (5) post the issued permit number on every booking platform listing. Renewals are due before January 1 of every even-numbered year at a $250 fee. Washington-state hosting platforms must separately register under RCW 64.37.040. The City contracts with Host Compliance / Granicus to monitor platform listings against the permit database.

Bellingham STR Registration Requires WA DOR Business License + City Business License + BMC 20.10.037 Permit + Safety Inspection + Posted Permit Number

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Bellingham does not require an operator to be physically present during every rental night, but BMC 20.10.037 effectively requires host presence in residential zones through two stacked rules: the owner or long-term renter (with at least a 270-day lease) must occupy the dwelling unit as a primary residence at least 270 days per year, and whole-unit rentals (host absent) are capped at 95 days per year. Room rentals within a primary residence (host present) have no day cap, encouraging hosted operations. In commercial and Urban Village zones (Type II and Type III-A permits), there is no primary-residence requirement and no host-presence requirement; whole-unit non-primary STRs may operate year-round. State law (RCW 64.37.020) additionally requires every operator to provide 24/7 contact information for someone able to respond to inquiries at the STR.

Bellingham Effectively Requires Host Presence in Residential Zones (270-Day Primary Residence + 95-Day Whole-Unit Cap); No Presence Requirement in Commercial / Urban Village Zones

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Bellingham imposes one of Washington's stricter primary-residence frameworks under BMC 20.10.037. In residential zones, the dwelling unit hosting the STR (including any accessory dwelling unit) must serve as the primary residence of the owner or long-term renter (with at least a 270-day lease) for at least 270 days per year, and each operator is limited to one STR. Whole-unit rentals are capped at 95 days per year. Detached accessory dwelling units (DADUs) are prohibited as STRs in single-family zones. In commercial and Urban Village zones (Type II and Type III-A permits), the primary-residence requirement does not apply, the per-operator cap does not apply, and non-primary investment STRs are allowed year-round. STRs are entirely prohibited in the Lake Whatcom Watershed Basin One and in shoreline areas regulated under BMC Title 22.

Bellingham Restricts Residential-Zone STRs to Primary Residences (270-Day Rule) and Limits Operators to One STR Per Person; Commercial / Urban Village Zones Allow Non-Primary STRs

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Whatcom County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bellingham city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in Whatcom County →