6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Bellingham requires an STR permit and business license. Unincorporated Whatcom County recognizes vacation rentals as an accessory use, with a registration program in development. Washington's RCW 64.37 sets baseline rules.
RCW 64.37.010
a lodging use, that is not a hotel or motel or bed and breakfast, in which a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, that is offered or provided to a guest by a short-term rental operator for a fee for fewer than thirty consecutive nights
STR guests must meet the same noise limits as residents: WAC 173-60 and, in Bellingham, the public disturbance code. Repeated verified complaints can jeopardize a Bellingham permit.
WAC 173-60-040
Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the noise limitations of the foregoing table shall be reduced by 10 dBA for receiving property within Class A EDNAs.
STR stays owe Washington sales tax plus a local lodging tax and B&O tax. Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit most lodging taxes; hosts still register with the Department of Revenue and file B&O.
Unincorporated Whatcom County requires one off-street parking space per sleeping unit for vacation rentals. Bellingham handles STR parking through its permit and zoning; hosts should disclose parking in listings.
Whatcom County and Bellingham cap STR occupancy through their registration and permit standards, generally tied to bedrooms. Listings must state the maximum, and the host is responsible for guest compliance.
Washington's RCW 64.37 requires STR operators statewide to carry at least $1 million in liability coverage. Standard homeowner policies often exclude rental activity, so most hosts need a rider or commercial policy.
RCW 64.37.050
A short-term rental operator must maintain primary liability insurance to cover the short-term rental dwelling unit in the aggregate of not less than one million dollars or conduct each short-term rental transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater primary liability insurance coverage.
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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