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

Puyallup has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental ordinance, so STRs operate under the city's bed-and-breakfast (B&B) provisions in PMC Chapter 20.20 (RS Single-Family Residential) and PMC Chapter 20.25 (RM Multiple-Family Residential). Under those provisions, a B&B with up to two lodging rooms is permitted only when the rooms are located within the primary structure of the dwelling. A B&B with more than two lodging rooms, or one located within a detached accessory structure, is permitted only with conditional review and is capped at no more than eight lodging rooms in total. The scale, bulk, and architectural style of a B&B may not be altered in a way that is incompatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood, the property must contain landscaping equivalent to 25 percent of the net lot area, meals may be prepared only for registered guests of the B&B (not for the general public), and large banquets, weddings, conferences, and similar group gatherings are not allowed. PMC Title 20 does not impose a guest-per-bedroom occupancy cap; instead, occupant load is governed by the underlying International Residential Code and Washington State Building Code as adopted in PMC Title 17, plus Puyallup Fire Department egress and life-safety standards. All B&B-style uses are subject to the business license requirements of PMC Title 5 and the city's lodging tax adopted under RCW 67.28, which authorizes Puyallup to impose an excise tax not to exceed 2 percent on the furnishing of lodging. State law in RCW 64.37 layers additional duties on the operator: a 24-hour contact must be available to respond to inquiries during the guest's stay (RCW 64.37.020), the operator must maintain primary liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 or use a platform that provides equivalent coverage (RCW 64.37.050), and the dwelling must comply with state-adopted carbon-monoxide alarm rules under RCW 19.27.530. STR operators must also register with the Washington Department of Revenue and remit state and local sales, lodging, and convention taxes.