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

10 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.

Permit Requirements

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 ↗

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 ↗

Occupancy Limits

Unincorporated Spokane County sets no fixed guest-per-bedroom cap. Occupancy is governed by the building/fire code and by conditions the Hearing Examiner imposes on a bed-and-breakfast Conditional Use Permit. The City of Spokane's 2-per-bedroom-plus-2 rule does not apply to county land.

No County Occupancy Cap; Building Code and CUP Conditions Apply

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Unincorporated Spokane County code does not require a fixed liability-insurance amount to operate a short-term rental. Any insurance condition would come only from a Conditional Use Permit or a hosting platform's own coverage. The widely cited $1,000,000 STR liability figure is a City-of-Spokane requirement, not a county rule.

No County-Mandated STR Liability Insurance

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Unincorporated Spokane County sets no maximum number of rented nights per year for a short-term rental. Because the use runs as a permitted or conditional zoning use rather than a capped STR license, there is no annual night limit. The Hearing Examiner may add operating conditions to a bed-and-breakfast CUP.

No Annual Night Cap in Unincorporated Spokane County

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Registration Rules

There is no county STR registry. A host in unincorporated Spokane County registers with the Washington Department of Revenue for a business license and UBI, and reports transient-rental income on the state excise-tax return. Any zoning approval is handled separately by Building and Planning.

Spokane County: State Business License and DOR Registration

Some Restrictions

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

13 verified rules • Extended Home Share, Host Platform Liability

All Spokane County ordinances

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