Short-Term Rentals in Spokane County, WA (2026)

6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Spokane County, Washington.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Spokane County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Unincorporated Spokane County has no standalone short-term-rental ordinance. A whole-home or B&B rental is regulated under the Zoning Code as a 'home industry' (bed-and-breakfast facility), which requires a Conditional Use Permit in residential zones. Hotel/motel including bed-and-breakfast is permitted outright in commercial zones.

Spokane County: STR Runs as a Bed-and-Breakfast Home Industry

Some Restrictions

SCC 14.300.100 (definition, Home Industry)

Home Industry: An occupation, profession, bed and breakfast facility, or craft ... in association with a primary residence, which is of such intensity or broad scope of operation that public hearing review, as a Conditional Use Permit, is necessary.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

There is no STR-specific noise rule in the county. A rental's noise is subject to Spokane County's public-disturbance nuisance provisions and Washington's maximum environmental noise limits in WAC 173-60. Home-industry standards even require mechanical equipment to comply with WAC 173-60.

STR Noise Governed by County Nuisance Rules and WAC 173-60

Some Restrictions

SCC 14 (home industry standards) + WAC 173-60

All material or mechanical equipment shall be used in such a manner as to be in compliance with WAC-173-60 regarding noise.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

A short-term rental in Spokane County collects Washington retail sales tax plus local sales tax on lodging under 30 days, and a special hotel/motel tax under RCW 67.28. The King County convention-center tax does NOT apply to Spokane.

Spokane County Lodging Taxes on Stays Under 30 Days

Some Restrictions

RCW 67.28.180 (special hotel/motel tax, per WA DOR)

It is a consumer tax on lodging charges for periods of less than 30 consecutive days for hotels, motels, rooming houses, private campgrounds, RV parks, and similar facilities.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Spokane County has no STR-specific parking count. For a bed-and-breakfast home industry, SCC Title 14 states parking, traffic, and storage requirements 'shall be as approved by the Hearing Examiner' as part of the Conditional Use Permit, alongside the zone's general off-street parking standards.

STR Parking Set by Hearing Examiner, Not a Fixed County Formula

Some Restrictions

SCC 14 (home industry standards, e.g. 14.618)

Parking, traffic, and storage requirements shall be as approved by the Hearing Examiner.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

The county does not require a host to be on-site during stays. However, the bed-and-breakfast home industry is a family-operated use: only members of the family residing on the premises, plus no more than two outside employees, may be engaged in it - implying resident operation of the residential-zone use.

No Explicit Host-Presence Mandate; Family-Operated Home Industry

Some Restrictions

SCC 14 (home industry standards)

Only members of the family residing on the premises, and no more than 2 employees outside of the family, may be engaged in the home industry.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Unincorporated Spokane County has no blanket primary-residence-only STR mandate, but the bed-and-breakfast pathway is defined as a home industry 'in association with a primary residence.' A B&B home industry is thus tethered to an owner-occupied dwelling; whole-home lodging without that tie is the commercial hotel/motel use.

Home-Industry B&B Tied to a Primary Residence

Some Restrictions

SCC 14.300.100 (definition, Home Industry)

Home Industry: An occupation, profession, bed and breakfast facility, or craft ... in association with a primary residence ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rentals by City in Spokane County

1 cities in Spokane County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

SpokanePop. 228,989

1 verified rule • Short-Term Rental Permits

All Spokane County ordinances

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