Kennewick, WA Hotels & Lodging: Transient Occupancy Tax (2026)

Transient occupancy taxation inside Kennewick is governed by Washington's state statutory framework rather than a city-specific tax ordinance. Three components apply to a Kennewick lodging stay of fewer than 30 nights. First, the state retail sales tax under RCW 82.08.020 at 6.5 percent and the local sales-and-use tax under RCW 82.14 apply to charges for lodging under RCW 82.08.0291; the combined state-and-local sales tax rate inside Kennewick city limits is published on the Washington Department of Revenue's Local Sales & Use Tax Rates page and is updated quarterly. Second, RCW 67.28.180 authorizes counties to impose a special hotel/motel tax of up to 2 percent on the sale of or charge made for the furnishing of lodging; Benton County has imposed the full 2 percent basic county hotel/motel tax under RCW 67.28.180, which is credited against the state's share of the retail sales tax so the guest's total bill increases by the 2 percent only as a redirection of the state share, not as an additional layer on top. Third, RCW 67.28.181 authorizes an additional 'special' hotel/motel tax of up to 2 percent imposed on top of the basic tax in jurisdictions that have adopted it; this additional layer is not universally adopted and varies by city or county. Hosting platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) and online travel companies remit lodging tax on platform bookings as marketplace facilitators under RCW 82.08.0531. WAC 458-20-166 exempts stays of 30 or more continuous days by the same person as non-transient lodging.