Bellingham, WA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Short-term rental operators shall maintain liability insurance appropriate to cover the short-term rental use in the aggregate of not less than $1,000,000 or conduct each short-term rental transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater insurance coverage.

15. Renewal. Short-term rental permits must be renewed on or before January 1st of every even-numbered year.

16. Nontransferability. Short-term rental permits are not transferable to another operator or location.

17. Permit Revocation.

a. If an operator fails to comply with the regulations of this section and conditions of approval, the planning director shall work with the applicant to achieve voluntary compliance. If voluntary compliance cannot be achieved, the planning director may revoke a short-term rental permit for failure to comply with the regulations of this section. Any such decision may be appealed to the hearing examiner in accordance with BMC 21.10.250.

b. A legally established, previously approved bed and breakfast use is abandoned if the use ceases for at least one year. An operator seeking to reestablish the bed and breakfast use shall obtain a short-term rental permit to operate a bed and breakfast facility.

c. A new short-term rental permit will not be issued to the operator of a revoked bed and breakfast facility or short-term rental until two years from the time of revocation have passed.