Washington County, UT Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Occupancy cap
- 4 people per approved bedroom
- Bedroom count source
- Septic permit or approved plans, lower one
- Monitoring duty
- Cameras/monitors/screening apps required
- Data retention
- 90 days, produced within 5 business days
- Effective date
- 60 days after enactment
Summary
Washington County caps every short-term rental at four guests per approved bedroom, counted against the bedrooms listed on the septic permit or approved plans, and owners must monitor and retain guest data to prove compliance.
Access and Occupancy Limit. All short term rentals shall have an access and occupancy limit of four people per bedroom based on the number of bedrooms listed on the septic permit or on the approved plans, whichever number is less (the “approved bedrooms”). Only legal bedrooms may be advertised, rented or used as sleeping quarters. Sleeping accommodations shall not be provided, advertised, rented or used in rooms other than approved bedrooms. No STR may be advertised, rented or used by more people than the maximum access and occupancy limit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The code calls this figure the "approved bedrooms," and only those legal bedrooms may be advertised, rented, or used as sleeping quarters; sleeping accommodations in dens, lofts, garages or other non-approved rooms are barred outright. Access to the property is likewise restricted to confirmed guests, and the owner or property manager carries an affirmative duty to monitor the STR to prevent violation of the access and occupancy limits with monitors, cameras, or guest screening apps. Any data collected that way must be kept for 90 days and produced to the county within five business days of a request, in an easily accessible format, or the failure to produce it is itself a violation.
The subsection notes that other, stricter occupancy limits tied to the building code, fire code, or septic permit can still apply on top of the four-per-bedroom cap. d requires a clearly visible notice, on or near the front door and in the kitchen, stating the occupancy limit. The four-per-bedroom standard took effect 60 days after enactment of these regulations.
Violations & Fines
Advertising, renting, or hosting more guests than the approved-bedroom limit allows is a violation the Community Development Department can act on with substantial evidence; under § 10-13-23.R, three accumulated violations can trigger STR license non-renewal or revocation for two years, and civil penalties escalate from a warning letter to $500 a day, then $1,000 a day, until the property is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many guests can stay at a Washington County short-term rental?
Can I sleep guests in a den or loft at my Washington County STR to fit more people?
Am I required to monitor guest counts at my Washington County short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah short-term rentals overview
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