Tacoma, WA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Room rentals within a dwelling
- Requirement
- Owner of record resides on-site
- Whole-home rentals
- Not covered by this rule
- Citation
- TMC § 13.06.080M.3.a
Summary
For room-share short-term rentals, Tacoma requires the owner of record to live in the dwelling during the rental term.
Owner occupancy. For short-term rentals that involve rental of individual guest rooms within a dwelling, the dwelling must be occupied by an owner of record during the rental term.
b. Safety sign. There must be a clearly printed sign inside the door of each rental guest room with the locations of fire extinguishers, gas shut-off valves, fire exits, and/or pull fire alarm.
c. The home shall be equipped with functioning smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
d. Occupancy. Maximum occupancy shall be dictated by the Minimum Building and Structures Code.
N. Permanent and temporary shelters.
1. General purpose. The purpose of this subsection is to ensure that shelter may be adequately provided on a temporary or ongoing basis for individuals or groups who are unhoused, to provide a predictable and efficient permitting process that does not impede community response to extreme weather events or other crises, and to provide reasonable standards for health, safety and general welfare for those seeking shelter as well as the surrounding community.
2. Permanent shelters.
a. General standards.
b.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Tacoma's short-term rental use standards require owner occupancy specifically for rentals of individual guest rooms within a dwelling: the owner of record must be in residence during the rental term. This host-presence rule sits alongside separate requirements for a safety sign inside each guest room and working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout the home.
Violations & Fines
Renting out guest rooms as a short-term rental without an owner of record residing on-site is a use-standard violation, subject to code enforcement action against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tacoma require hosts to be present for short-term rentals?
Does the owner-occupancy rule cover whole-house rentals in Tacoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
Compare Tacoma to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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Host Presence Rule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle host presence rule.