Olympia, WA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Olympia's short-term rental rules sit in the residential districts' use standards, OMC § 18.04.060, subsection JJ. Short-term rentals are allowed in the districts specified in Tables 4.01, 5.01, and 6.01, subject to the requirements that follow. Paragraph (JJ)(1) applies to all short-term rentals in the City of Olympia, homestays and vacation rentals alike.

The bedroom rule comes first. The number of overnight guests is limited to two adults per bedroom, except that children under 12 years of age may occupy a bedroom with no more than two adults. The code sets no separate cap for children, so the adult count drives the limit.

The second rule is a ceiling. In any single short-term rental the total number of overnight guests is limited to a maximum of 10 adults or the maximum produced by the bedroom rule in (JJ)(1)(a), whichever is less. A two-bedroom unit therefore tops out at the bedroom figure, and only a unit with enough bedrooms ever reaches the 10-adult ceiling.

Homestays count the host too. In a short-term rental homestay, the property owner or long-term rental tenant is included in counting the maximum number of overnight guests, so the resident takes one of the available places.

Related operating duties sit in the same paragraph. The operator must give the City the name, phone number, and address of a person who resides within 15 miles of the rental, or within Thurston County, and who can respond immediately to City requests to enforce applicable laws and rules. The operator must also post a copy of the City of Olympia business license, and the land use permit if one applies, in a conspicuous location inside the rental.