Seattle SMC 6.600 STR Ordinance (2017) requires every host to hold a STR Operator License plus a regulatory license. Operators are limited to their primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit citywide.
Seattle's Short-Term Rental Ordinance (Ord. 125490, codified at SMC 6.600) took effect January 2019. Every operator must obtain an annual STR Operator License from the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) and a Seattle business license. Critically, hosts may operate STRs in only two dwelling units citywide: their primary residence plus one additional unit. This caps speculative STR portfolios. Downtown and First Hill have a different framework allowing more units in some buildings. Operators must collect 15.6% in lodging and sales taxes plus a $14/night STR tax. Platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) must verify license numbers. The ordinance does not require host presence on-site overnight, but two-unit cap is the binding limit.
Operating without STR license: $1,000 first violation, $2,000+ subsequent. Exceeding two-unit limit: $500 per night. Tax non-payment: collection plus penalties under SMC 5.45.
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