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

Yakima's STR occupancy framework is built around the home-occupation rule in YMC 15.04.120(C) and the special development standards in YMC 15.09.080. The home-occupation rule provides that owners may operate up to five lodging units or guest rooms as a home-occupation STR; exceeding that count converts the use to a lodging classification (such as bed and breakfast inn or hotel/motel) that is processed through a higher level of land use review and may not be permitted as an outright use in residential zones. Within the five-unit cap, the maximum number of guests per stay is constrained by (1) the floor-plan submission required at approval, which must show fire exits and escape routes with maximum occupancy limits posted in the unit, and (2) the Washington State Building Code (adopted under RCW Chapter 19.27 and Chapter 51-50 WAC), which sets occupant loads by area, sleeping-room dimensions, and means-of-egress requirements for residential occupancies. An STR cannot exceed the building-code occupant load even if it has fewer than five lodging units. Yakima County's STR code (Yakima County Code Title 19, Ch. 19.18.420) imposes a parallel five-unit-total cap on parcels containing a residential unit, private room, or ADU in unincorporated areas, providing context for the city's approach. For larger STR operations - whole-house investment rentals with more than five rooms, or multiple STRs on a single parcel - the operator must apply for a Type 2 or Type 3 land use review under YMC Chapter 15.04, demonstrate compliance with YMC 15.09.080 special development standards, and may face conditions of approval limiting guest count, vehicle count, and event-hosting consistent with the home occupation peaceful-occupancy standard. Operators are required by RCW 64.37.030 to provide CO alarms compliant with RCW 19.27.530 and life-safety information to guests, which functionally caps occupancy at the posted limits.