Short-Term Rentals in Kent, WA (2026)

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

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Kent zones short-term rentals as an accessory use in residential districts, but operators need a city business license, must live in the home (or keep a nontransient tenant) at least six months a year, and can rent out no more than three rooms.

Kent Short-Term Rental Permit Rules

Some Restrictions

KCC 15.02.055; KCC 15.04.030(34)

15.02.055 Short-term rental. Short-term rental means a dwelling or part thereof, other than a motel or hotel, where lodging, with or without meals, is provided, for compensation, for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. ... 34. The following restrictions apply to short-term rentals: a. A city of Kent business license is required in accordance with Chapter 5.01 KCC; b. The home shall be occupied by...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Kent levies a 1 percent special excise (lodging) tax on lodging furnished for under a month, including short-term rentals, under KCC 3.23.020. Stays of one month or more are presumed a lease and fall outside the tax. The Washington Department of Revenue collects it.

Kent's 1% Lodging Tax on Short Stays

Some Restrictions

KCC 3.23.020

Effective February 1, 1999, there is hereby levied, as authorized by RCW 67.28.181, a special excise tax of one (1) percent on the sale of or charge made for the furnishing of lodging that is subject to tax under Chapter 82.08 RCW. Pursuant to RCW 82.08.010 and 82.04.050(1)(f), the tax imposed applies to the sale of or charge for the furnishing of lodging by a hotel, rooming house, tourist cour...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Washington RCW 64.37 requires Kent short-term rental operators to maintain at least $1 million in liability insurance or list through a platform that provides equivalent coverage. Proof must be available upon request.

Short Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements

Heavy Restrictions

Wash. Rev. Code § 64.37.050 (Short-Term Rentals — Liability Insurance)

64.37.050 Liability insurance. A short-term rental operator must maintain primary liability insurance to cover the short-term rental dwelling unit in the aggregate of not less than one million dollars or conduct each short-term rental transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater primary liability insurance coverage. Nothing in this section prevents an operator or a platform fro...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Kent limits short-term rentals to homes where the owner or a nontransient tenant actually lives at least six months a year. Renting out a home you don't occupy as your primary residence is not a permitted short-term rental use under the zoning code.

Kent Short-Term Rental Owner-Occupancy Rule

Some Restrictions

KCC 15.04.030(34)

34. The following restrictions apply to short-term rentals: a. A city of Kent business license is required in accordance with Chapter 5.01 KCC; b. The home shall be occupied by the owner or a nontransient tenant for at least six months of each year; c. No more than three rooms within the home or accessory structure may be offered as short-term rentals; and d. The applicant is responsible for co...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for King County county-wide rules?

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

Short-Term Rentals in King County →