Pierce County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual night cap
- None
- Operating window
- Year-round if compliant
- Per-stay limit
- Under 30 days = rental
- B&B per-guest cap
- Two weeks per guest
- Density caps
- None in county code
Summary
Pierce County Code 18A.37.040 sets no limit on how many nights per year a vacation rental may operate. A rental meeting the five-room, ten-guest, affidavit, parking, and neighbor-notice standards may operate year-round. The only length limit is per stay: rentals over 30 consecutive days are not regulated as vacation rentals.
A Vacation Rental (VR) is a short-term rental accommodation within a legally established single-family or accessory dwelling. Longer term rentals exceeding 30 days are not regulated under this Chapter.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-515, and legislation passed through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Pierce County imposes no annual night cap or rented-night maximum on vacation rentals in unincorporated areas. PCC 18A.37.040(B) allows a vacation rental to operate whenever it meets the guest-room, guest, parking, neighbor-notice, affidavit, and brochure standards, with no ceiling on nights or bookings per year. The chapter's only duration limit is per-stay: a vacation rental covers stays of fewer than 30 days, and rentals exceeding 30 days are not regulated under the chapter. The bed-and-breakfast standard in subsection A adds a per-guest limit of two weeks, but no such cap applies to vacation rentals. Supply is not managed by density caps or overlay limits. Cities may adopt night caps, so hosts inside a city must check the municipal code.
Violations & Fines
There is no per-night or annual cap to violate for a Pierce County vacation rental. The only limit is duration per stay: renting the same unit for more than 30 consecutive days shifts it into long-term-tenancy rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a limit on how many nights I can rent in Pierce County?
Does the two-week limit apply to vacation rentals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
Compare Pierce County to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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