Short-Term Rentals in Yakima, WA (2026)

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

Verified from official government sources

Permit Requirements

The City of Yakima allows short-term rentals (residential dwellings or portions thereof rented for fewer than 30 consecutive nights) in most residential and commercial zoning districts, but operators must (1) obtain a City of Yakima Business License (renewed annually), (2) clear a Type 1, 2, or 3 land use review under YMC Title 15 depending on zone and occupancy, and (3) comply with the home-occupation standards in YMC 15.04.120(C) when operating in a residential zone. Owner-occupied STRs in residential zones with five or fewer guest rooms are an outright permitted home occupation; non-owner-occupied STRs and larger operations require Type 2 or Type 3 review through the Yakima Planning Division. STRs must also satisfy the special development standards in YMC 15.09.080 (site plan, parking, fire/life safety) and statewide RCW 64.37 operator duties (24/7 contact, CO alarms, insurance).

Yakima STRs Allowed City-Wide With City Business License, Land Use Review, and Home Occupation Compliance (YMC 15.04.120 & 15.09.080)

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Yakima does not codify STR-specific quiet hours. STR guests are subject to the same general noise rules as every other resident under YMC Chapter 6.04 (Offenses Against Public Order and Peace), which prohibits noises that unreasonably disturb the comfort, peace, and repose of others. For STRs operated as home occupations in residential zones, YMC 15.04.120(C) adds a layered standard: the STR must be operated so as not to infringe upon the rights of neighboring residents to peaceful occupancy of their homes. Chronic noise complaints tied to an STR address can be raised as a home-occupation violation by the Planning Division and as a nuisance under Yakima's chronic-nuisance-property ordinance.

Yakima STR Guests Subject to Citywide Noise Ordinance YMC Chapter 6.04 and Home-Occupation Peaceful-Occupancy Standard

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Short-term rentals in Yakima carry a stack of state and local taxes. The Washington state retail sales tax is 6.5% (RCW 82.08.020); Yakima adds a local retail sales tax on top, producing a combined retail sales tax that applies to lodging stays of less than 30 days. On top of sales tax, Yakima imposes a special 5% excise tax on lodging under YMC Chapter 3.93 (Room Tax) for the Capitol Theatre and convention/performing arts facilities, plus a basic 2% hotel-motel tax (credited against the state sales tax, RCW 67.28.180). Yakima County also operates a Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) lodging assessment on stays in qualifying lodging properties. STR operators must register a Washington Business License with DOR, collect the full lodging tax stack, and remit through the DOR My DOR portal monthly or quarterly.

Yakima STR Tax Stack: 6.5% WA Sales + Local Sales + 2% Basic Hotel/Motel + 5% Special Excise (YMC 3.93) + Yakima Co TPA = ~13-15% to Guest

Heavy Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Parking Rules

Yakima does not set a flat per-bedroom STR parking ratio, but applies two layered standards. For STRs operating as a home occupation in residential zones (SR, R-1, R-2, R-3), YMC 15.04.120(C) prohibits using the front yard area for off-street guest parking unless the parking area is screened and found to be compatible with the neighborhood (or specifically waived by the reviewing official). Beyond that, the off-street parking standards of YMC Chapter 15.06 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) apply to each STR site as a residential or lodging use, and a site plan showing parking and STR configuration is required under YMC 15.09.080. On-street parking is governed by general Yakima traffic and parking rules and does not 'reserve' spaces for STR guests.

Yakima STR Parking Governed by Home Occupation Rule (No Front-Yard Guest Parking Unless Screened) and Zoning Off-Street Standards in YMC Chapter 15.06

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Yakima imposes a unit/room cap on home-occupation STRs rather than a flat per-bedroom guest count. Owners operating an STR as a home occupation in a residential zone (SR, R-1, R-2, R-3) under YMC 15.04.120(C) are limited to not more than five lodging units or guest rooms; an STR exceeding that cap is no longer eligible as a home occupation and must be processed as a different lodging classification through a Type 2 or Type 3 land use review under YMC Chapter 15.04. Maximum occupancy per unit is further constrained by the floor-plan / fire-exit documentation required for approval (showing fire exits and escape routes with maximum occupancy limits) and by Washington State Building Code occupant-load standards adopted under RCW 19.27.

Yakima Caps Owner-Occupied STR Home Occupations at Five Lodging Units / Guest Rooms; Larger STRs Require Land Use Review

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Yakima does not impose a city-specific STR insurance dollar amount. Instead, every short-term rental operator in Washington - including Yakima - 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. Operators applying for Yakima Planning Division land use review must demonstrate insurance compliance, and the policy must respond to claims arising from STR use specifically (standard homeowners policies typically exclude commercial short-term-rental use).

Yakima 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

Yakima Municipal Code does not impose an annual cap on the number of nights a short-term rental can be rented in a calendar year. There is no Seattle-style 90-day cap or California-style 90/180-day rule in YMC Title 15 or in RCW Chapter 64.37 (Washington's statewide STR statute). Provided the operator holds a valid City Business License, has completed the appropriate land use review, and continues to satisfy the home occupation conditions of YMC 15.04.120(C) (including the peaceful-occupancy standard) and the special development standards of YMC 15.09.080, the STR may be rented year-round.

Yakima Does Not Cap Total Rental Nights Per Year for STRs; No Local Annual Night Limit

Few Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Registration Rules

Yakima does not operate a separate stand-alone STR registry. Registration is layered: every STR 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 Yakima Business License through City Finance (renewed annually) which serves as the local registration of record, and (3) have a Planning Division land use permit record (Type 1, 2, or 3 review approval, or home-occupation compliance under YMC 15.04.120) tied to the property address. Washington state platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) are separately required to register under RCW 64.37.040.

Yakima STR Registration Requires WA Business License Service Registration + City of Yakima Business License + Land Use Permit Record

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Yakima does not require an operator to be physically present during every rental, but it differentiates strongly between owner-occupied (host-present) and non-owner-occupied STRs. Under YMC 15.04.120(C), an owner-occupied STR in a residential zone (SR, R-1, R-2, R-3) with no more than five lodging units or guest rooms is an outright permitted home occupation. A non-owner-occupied (whole-house investment) STR must instead clear a Type 1, 2, or 3 land use review under YMC Chapter 15.04. State law (RCW 64.37.020) additionally requires every operator - host-present or not - to provide 24/7 contact information for a person able to respond to inquiries at the STR during the guest's stay.

Yakima Treats Owner-Occupied (Host-Present) STRs as Outright Permitted Home Occupations; Non-Owner-Occupied STRs Require Land Use Review

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Yakima Municipal Code does not impose a primary-residence-only restriction on short-term rentals. Both owner-occupied STRs (treated as outright permitted home occupations under YMC 15.04.120(C)) and non-owner-occupied / investment STRs (processed through a Type 1, 2, or 3 land use review under YMC Chapter 15.04) are allowed within the city, subject to zoning compatibility, home-occupation conditions, special development standards, business licensing, and statewide RCW 64.37 operator duties. This is materially more permissive than Seattle (RCW 36.70A.330 + SMC 6.600) or other Washington cities that restrict STRs to primary residences. Yakima's regulatory model uses zoning, occupancy caps, and tax compliance rather than primary-residence restrictions.

Yakima Does Not Restrict STRs to Primary Residences; Investment / Non-Owner-Occupied STRs Are Allowed via Land Use Review

Few Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Yakima County county-wide rules?

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

Short-Term Rentals in Yakima County →