Under RCW 64.37, Airbnb, Vrbo, and other booking platforms operating in King County must require operators to attest to insurance, registration, and tax compliance, and must remove listings that fail to meet state and local requirements.
Washington's 2019 short-term rental law assigns shared compliance duties to platforms. Booking platforms must confirm each operator carries at least $1 million liability coverage or that platform-provided coverage applies, must collect and remit state and local lodging taxes (Airbnb has done so countywide since 2015), and must remove listings flagged as noncompliant by King County or city regulators. Seattle additionally requires platforms to verify a current Seattle STR operator license number on every listing. Platform liability is strict liability for tax remittance but compliance-based for license verification, meaning good-faith reliance on operator attestation is generally a defense.
Platforms that fail to remit lodging taxes face state Department of Revenue assessment plus penalties. Failure to delist unlicensed Seattle STRs can lead to municipal fines under SMC 6.600 against the platform.
Auburn, WA
Auburn applies WAC 173-60 EDNA limits through ACC 8.28. Residential: 55 dBA day, 45 dBA night. Industrial receiving: 60 dBA day, 50 dBA night. Measured at th...
Auburn, WA
Industrial sources into residential zones are capped at 60 dBA day and 50 dBA night under WAC 173-60 via ACC 8.28. The Boeing Auburn plant and Valley warehou...
Auburn, WA
Federal law preempts local aircraft noise. Auburn Municipal Airport follows FAA Part 150 and Sea-Tac overflights are under FAA and Port of Seattle. ACC 8.28 ...
Auburn, WA
Outdoor concerts and festivals must meet ACC 8.28 limits and often need a special event permit. Downtown Auburn and Les Gove Park events follow a written noi...
Auburn, WA
Auburn restricts RV, trailer, and boat parking on public streets to 72 hours and sets additional limits on driveway and front-yard storage of recreational ve...
Auburn, WA
EV charging in Auburn follows the Washington State Energy Code, which requires EV-ready capacity in new multifamily and commercial parking and protects publi...
See how Auburn's host platform liability rules stack up against other locations.
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