Bellingham, WA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Bellingham's host-presence framework is built into BMC 20.10.037 and operates differently by zone. In residential zones (Type I permits), the code requires that 'the dwelling unit, including accessory dwelling units, hosting the STR must serve as the primary residence of the owner or long-term renter (with at least a 270-day lease) for at least 270 days/year and the whole unit may be rented no more than 95 days/year.' That construction functionally requires the host (or a long-term tenant on a 270-day-plus lease) to live in the home most of the year. Whole-unit (host-absent) rentals are capped at 95 days, while room rentals within the primary residence (host-present) are uncapped. The result is that a residential-zone STR cannot operate as a full-time investment property; it must be the operator's actual home, with limited periods of whole-unit absence. This is materially stricter than Yakima or Spokane and reflects Bellingham's housing-supply policy concerns (proximity to WWU student housing, San Juan Islands tourism overflow, and Mt. Baker recreation traffic). In commercial and Urban Village zones (Type II and Type III-A permits), BMC 20.10.037 expressly removes both the primary-residence requirement and the 95-day cap, so non-primary residences (including full-time investment STRs) are allowed year-round. Bellingham additionally requires every STR - regardless of zone or permit type - to designate a 24/7 local contact person who lives within an hour's drive of Bellingham and is responsible for the STR. Statewide, RCW 64.37.020 requires every Washington STR operator to provide guests with contact information for someone able to respond to inquiries at the STR during the stay. Bellingham does not impose a Seattle-style 'host must reside at the STR for X nights' threshold beyond the 270-day primary-residence rule. The 270-day primary-residence rule is enforced through documentary proof (utility bills, voter registration, vehicle registration, tax returns) at permit application and renewal, and through the third-party compliance vendor's monitoring of platform listings (calendar data, listing language).