Short-Term Rentals in Whatcom County, WA (2026)
5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Washington's short-term rental law, RCW 64.37.010, defines what counts as a short-term rental and sets baseline safety and tax duties for every operator in the state, while Whatcom County handles the actual permit question through zoning: vacation rentals are a permitted accessory use countywide except inside the Lake Whatcom Watershed Overlay District, where they need a hearing-examiner conditional use permit.
Whatcom County Short-Term Rental Permits
Some RestrictionsRCW 64.37.010(9)
(9)(a) "Short-term rental" means 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. (b) "Short-term rental" does not include any of the following: (i) A dwelling unit that is occupied by the owner for at least six...
Noise Rules
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.
Whatcom County STR Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsWAC 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.
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Whatcom County requires one off-street parking space per sleeping unit for a vacation rental, per line item (59.1) of the parking schedule at WCC § 20.80.580. The rule applies the same countywide parking table used for every other land use, and each space must meet the county's standard stall dimensions and sit on the same lot as the rental.
Whatcom County Vacation Rental Parking Rule
Some RestrictionsWhatcom County Code § 20.80.580(59.1)
(59.1) Vacation rental units: 1 for each sleeping unit.
Insurance Requirements
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.
Whatcom County STR Insurance Rules
Some RestrictionsRCW 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.
Host Presence Rule
Whatcom County splits short-term lodging into two zoning categories by host presence. A "vacation rental unit" is, by definition, a rental where the owner is not on site during the stay; an owner-occupied rental where at least one owner sleeps there overnight is instead classified as a bed and breakfast, with its own room caps.
Whatcom County STR Host-Presence Rule
Some RestrictionsWCC § 20.97.220; WCC § 20.97.020
"Vacation rental unit" means a single-family dwelling unit or accessory dwelling unit that, for compensation, is rented as a single unit used to lodge individuals or families for a period of less than 30 days and where the owner is not present in the rented unit during the rental period. Individual sleeping rooms shall not be rented individually. ... "Bed and breakfast establishment" means a pr...
Short-Term Rentals by City in Whatcom County
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Whatcom County ordinances
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