Short-Term Rentals in Grays Harbor County, WA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Grays Harbor County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Anyone renting a short-term rental in unincorporated Grays Harbor County needs a permit issued by the county administrator under § 17.60.020, valid only in the G-1, G-5, R-2, R-3, RR, LQ and C-2 zoning districts. The permit records the property address, holder's name, occupancy limit, a 24-hour local contact and the dates the permit runs, and must be renewed annually.
Grays Harbor County Requires Short-Term Rental Permits
Significant RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code § 17.60.020
A.Use.1.Except as provided in A2 below, short-term rentals are a permitted use only in the general development one (G-1), general development five (G-5), general residential (R-2), resort residential (R-3), rural residential (RR), Lake Quinault (LQ) and general commercial (C-2) zone districts, and only pursuant to a valid short-term rental permit issued in accordance with this section by the ad...
Noise Rules
Grays Harbor County requires every short-term rental to post quiet hours running no later than 10:00 p.m. to no earlier than 7:00 a.m. on the safety notice inside the dwelling, under County Code Section 17.60.020(C)(2)(i). The posting is one of the mandatory property-management conditions attached to every short-term rental permit in the unincorporated county.
Grays Harbor STR Quiet Hours: 10 PM to 7 AM
Some RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code Section 17.60.020(C)(2)(i)
2.A sign shall be posted conspicuously inside the dwelling with: ... i.Quiet times starting no later than 10:00 p.m. and ending no earlier than 7:00 a.m.; and
Taxes & Fees
Short-term rental permit-holders in unincorporated Grays Harbor County must remit every applicable local, state and federal tax and county fee tied to the rental, and keep three years of guest, booking and tax records for county inspection. County Code § 17.60.020(D) sets the recordkeeping duty; § 17.60.020(F) ties the permit fee itself to the county's current fee schedule rather than a fixed dollar amount printed in the code.
Grays Harbor County Short-Term Rental Taxes and Fees
Some RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code § 17.60.020
D.Taxes and Records.1.The permit-holder shall timely remit all applicable local, state and federal taxes and county fees owed in connection with the short-term rental.2.The permit-holder shall maintain records of all short-term rental activity, including number of guests, booking dates, rental income, and taxes remitted, for the most recent three consecutive years, and shall be provided to the ...
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Grays Harbor County requires every short-term rental to provide at least one on-site parking space for each bedroom, under County Code Section 17.60.020(B)(5). The standard is a permit condition enforced by the planning division alongside the county's ban on exterior short-term rental signage.
Grays Harbor STR Parking: One Space Per Bedroom
Some RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code Section 17.60.020(B)(5)
5.Parking. A minimum of one on-site parking space per bedroom shall be provided.
Occupancy Limits
Grays Harbor County caps overnight sleeping occupancy at a short-term rental at two guests per bedroom plus two more, or fewer if the property's septic system can't support that many people. County Code § 17.60.020(B)(3) lets the environmental health division set the lower ceiling itself, so a permit-holder can't rely on the bedroom formula alone if the on-site sewage system is undersized.
Grays Harbor County Caps Short-Term Rental Occupancy
Some RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code § 17.60.020
B.Standards. ... Short-term rentals shall be subject to the following general requirements: ... 3.Number of Occupants. The overnight sleeping occupancy of a short-term rental unit shall not exceed: two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons, or the number of persons accommodated by an on-site sewage disposal system as determined by the environmental health division, whichever number of...
Insurance Requirements
Every short-term rental permit holder in unincorporated Grays Harbor County must carry at least one million dollars of liability insurance covering the rental's use, as required by County Code Section 17.60.020(B)(7) and RCW 64.37.050. The coverage requirement is a standing condition of the short-term rental permit issued by the county administrator, not a one-time application item.
Grays Harbor STR Liability Insurance Minimum
Some RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code Section 17.60.020(B)(7)
7.Liability Insurance. The short-term rental shall have current, valid liability insurance of one million dollars or more that covers the use of the short-term rental unit as required by RCW 64.37.050 or its successor.
Repeat Violator Strikes
Grays Harbor County escalates penalties against repeat short-term rental violators under County Code Section 17.60.020(G)(4), running from a written warning to a one-thousand-dollar fine and revocation for permit violations, and up to a fourth-notice automatic revocation for operation violations.
Grays Harbor STR Repeat Violation Penalties
Significant RestrictionsGrays Harbor County Code Section 17.60.020(G)(4)
4.The following penalties shall apply to notices of violation:a.For permit violations:i.First notice of violation: written warning;ii.Second notice of violation: penalty of one thousand dollars, and immediate revocation of the short-term rental permit.b.For operation violations:i.First notice of violation: written warning;ii.Second notice of violation: penalty of five hundred dollars, or revoca...
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