Spokane County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- On-site host mandate
- None explicit
- Operated by
- Family residing on premises
- Outside employees
- No more than 2
- Local-contact rule
- Not set by county code
- Code basis
- SCC Title 14 home-industry standards
Summary
The county does not require a host to be on-site during stays. However, the bed-and-breakfast home industry is a family-operated use: only members of the family residing on the premises, plus no more than two outside employees, may be engaged in it - implying resident operation of the residential-zone use.
Only members of the family residing on the premises, and no more than 2 employees outside of the family, may be engaged in the home industry.
Full Breakdown
SCC Title 14 home-industry standards provide that 'Only members of the family residing on the premises, and no more than 2 employees outside of the family, may be engaged in the home industry.' There is no separate rule requiring a host or 24/7 local contact to be physically present during each STR booking, unlike some city STR codes. In practice, the residing-family operation requirement and the primary-residence tie mean the residential-zone bed-and-breakfast is host-run. Commercial-zone hotel/motel B&B use has no such family-operation limit.
Violations & Fines
Operating a residential-zone home-industry B&B with non-resident operators or more than two outside employees breaches the home-industry standards and CUP, and can be enforced by Building and Planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must I be present when guests stay at my county rental?
Can I hire a property manager to run the rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.