Renton, WA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Occupancy cap
- 2 guests per bedroom
- Owner-occupied units
- Owner/family count toward the same cap
- STR definition threshold
- Advertised stays under 30 continuous days
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under RMC 1-3-1
- Governing section
- RMC 4-4-055, adopted by Ord. 5904
Summary
Renton caps short-term rental occupancy at two guests per bedroom, and that same two-per-bedroom count includes the owner or related family when the unit is owner-occupied during a rental. A dwelling counts as a short-term rental once it's advertised for stays under 30 continuous days.
A. APPLICABILITY: The standards of this Section apply to the short-term rental of a dwelling unit or portion thereof. For the purposes of this Section, it shall be determined that a dwelling unit is being used as a short-term rental if the owner or person in charge of such real property advertises their property for overnight accommodations for any period less than thirty (30) continuous days. ... 3. Maximum Number of Guests: The number of guests, and owners or related family if the unit is owner-occupied during rentals, is limited to two (2) per bedroom.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6197, passed August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
RMC 4-4-055(A) defines a short-term rental as a dwelling unit, or portion of one, advertised by the owner or person in charge for overnight accommodations for any period less than thirty (30) continuous days; anything at or above that threshold falls outside this section entirely. Once a unit meets that definition, RMC 4-4-055(B)(3) sets the occupancy ceiling at two (2) guests per bedroom, and the rule folds in the host too: if the unit is owner-occupied during the rental, the owners or related family staying there count toward that same two-per-bedroom limit alongside the paying guests.
So a three-bedroom short-term rental tops out at six total occupants whether that count is all guests, or a mix of guests and an on-site owner's family. This occupancy cap sits alongside the section's other operating conditions, an owner-occupancy requirement when multiple parties rent simultaneously, a business license, off-street parking, and fire and property-maintenance code compliance, all of which apply together to any dwelling advertised as a short-term rental in the city.
Violations & Fines
RMC 4-4-055(C) makes any violation of the short-term rental section a misdemeanor, subject to the general penalty provisions of RMC 1-3-1. That includes exceeding the two-guests-per-bedroom cap, and the misdemeanor exposure applies to the property owner or person in charge who advertised or operated the rental out of compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many guests can stay in a Renton short-term rental?
Does the host count toward the occupancy limit in an owner-occupied rental?
What length of stay makes a Renton rental a 'short-term rental'?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Renton
Compare Renton to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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Occupancy Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle occupancy limits.