Short-Term Rentals in Tacoma, WA (2026)

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

Verified from official government sources

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.

Tacoma Short-Term Rental Guest Registers

Some Restrictions

Tacoma Municipal Code § 6B.140.050

Every person operating or conducting any transient accommodation as defined herein shall at all times keep therein a register system which shall be kept in chronological order by date and include the time the guest checks into and out of the guest room, the name and mailing address of the person renting the guest room, and the names of all other persons occupying the guest room. The owner or op...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Tacoma Short-Term Rental License Fee

Some Restrictions

Tacoma Municipal Code § 6B.140.030

The license fees for a transient accommodation are hereby fixed at $75.00.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

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

Tacoma Short-Term Rental Occupancy

Light Restrictions

Tacoma Municipal Code § 13.06.080M.3.d

Occupancy. Maximum occupancy shall be dictated by the Minimum Building and Structures Code. N. Permanent and temporary shelters. 1. General purpose. The purpose of this subsection is to ensure that shelter may be adequately provided on a temporary or ongoing basis for individuals or groups who are unhoused, to provide a predictable and efficient permitting process that does not impede com...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

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

Tacoma Short-Term Rental Host Presence

Some Restrictions

Tacoma Municipal Code § 13.06.080M.3.a

Owner occupancy. For short-term rentals that involve rental of individual guest rooms within a dwelling, the dwelling must be occupied by an owner of record during the rental term. b. Safety sign. There must be a clearly printed sign inside the door of each rental guest room with the locations of fire extinguishers, gas shut-off valves, fire exits, and/or pull fire alarm. c. The home shal...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

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.

Tacoma Short-Term Rental Owner-Occupancy Rule

Significant Restrictions

Tacoma Municipal Code § 13.06.080A.4.g

Short-term rental. The use of an ADU as a short-term rental shall be allowed, subject to compliance with Sections 13.06.080A and 13.06.080M. The property owner is required to occupy one of the dwellings for approval of a short-term rental of either the main dwelling or the ADU. h. Density calculations. ADUs are counted as dwelling units in the Urban Residential zones. In all other zones, ADU...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Pierce County county-wide rules?

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

Short-Term Rentals in Pierce County →