Kirkland, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Parking standard borrowed from
- Bed and breakfast house rules, KZC 115.65
- Possible requirement
- Up to 1 stall per guest room
- City weighs
- Guest rooms, residents, driveway/garage, on-street stalls
- Responsibility
- Joint: owner and authorized agent
- Governing sections
- KMC 7.02.300(6); KZC 115.65(4)(j)(5)
Summary
Kirkland requires short-term rental owners to meet the same parking standards imposed on bed-and-breakfast houses in the Zoning Code, which can require up to one parking stall per guest room after the city weighs available driveway, garage and on-street stalls.
(6) The owners and authorized agents of owners of detached dwelling units that are the subject of short-term rental agreements are jointly responsible for ensuring compliance with the parking provisions applicable to bed and breakfast houses set forth in the Zoning Code. [KZC 115.65(4)(j)(5)]: The applicant may be required to provide up to one (1) parking stall per guest room. The applicant shall demonstrate the parking provided will be adequate based on the following criteria: a) The number of guest rooms; b) The number of permanent residents of the dwelling proposed for the bed and breakfast; c) The number of parking stalls that can be accommodated in a garage or driveway; and d) The number of legal on-street parking stalls immediately adjacent to the bed and breakfast;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
300(6) doesn't set a parking number of its own; it borrows the standard already written for bed and breakfast houses. The owners and authorized agents of owners of detached dwelling units subject to short-term rental agreements are jointly responsible for ensuring compliance with the parking provisions applicable to bed and breakfast houses set forth in the Zoning Code. 65(4)(j)(5), the home occupations chapter's bed-and-breakfast rules: an applicant may be required to provide up to one parking stall per guest room, and the city determines whether the parking provided is adequate by weighing the number of guest rooms, the number of permanent residents of the dwelling, the number of stalls that can be accommodated in a garage or driveway, and the number of legal on-street parking stalls immediately adjacent to the property. 12 KMC.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide the parking the city determines adequate under KZC 115.65(4)(j)(5) breaches the cross-referenced duty in KMC 7.02.300(6) and can lead to code enforcement under Chapter 1.12 KMC as well as business license suspension or revocation under KMC 7.02.260 for a zoning code violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much parking does a Kirkland short-term rental need to provide?
Why does Kirkland apply bed-and-breakfast parking rules to short-term rentals?
What happens if a Kirkland short-term rental doesn't meet the parking requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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Short-Term Rental Parking Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle short-term rental parking rules.