Stays of 30 days or longer in any King County short-term rental convert the guest into a tenant under the Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, RCW 59.18, regardless of whether a lease was signed or the platform classifies the stay as short-term.
Washington courts and the Attorney General treat any continuous occupancy past 30 days as a residential tenancy. Once that threshold passes, RCW 59.18 protections attach: the operator must follow notice-to-vacate rules, cannot lock out the guest without a court order, and must return any deposit per the Act. King County operators sometimes structure 28-day stays to remain inside the STR regime and avoid tenancy formation. Lodging taxes drop off after 30 nights, but landlord-tenant duties begin. Operators should issue a written lease at the 30-day mark to clarify rent, deposit, and termination terms.
Locking out a 30-plus-day guest, withholding belongings, or shutting off utilities to force departure violates RCW 59.18.290 and exposes the operator to per-day damages plus attorney fees in superior court.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Seattle, WA
Seattle's Land Use Code allows residential lawn ornaments, statuary, and yard art without permits provided structures do not exceed accessory-structure heigh...
Seattle, WA
Seattle does not regulate residential inflatable holiday decorations by size or type. Standard Noise Ordinance (SMC 25.08) limits apply to blower-motor noise...
Seattle, WA
Seattle has no ordinance restricting when residents may put up or take down holiday lights. The general Noise Ordinance SMC 25.08 applies to any amplified ou...
Seattle, WA
Built-in outdoor kitchens in Seattle require building permits from SDCI when they include new electrical, plumbing, gas piping, or a structural roof under Se...
Seattle, WA
Backyard wood and pellet smokers in Seattle are allowed at single-family homes but are subject to Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) Regulation I, Section ...
Seattle, WA
Seattle Fire Code Section 308.1.4 prohibits open-flame cooking devices and LP-gas containers larger than 1 lb on combustible balconies of multi-family buildi...
See how Seattle's extended home share rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.