Whatcom County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)

WCC § 20.80.580, the parking space requirements schedule that governs every land use in the unincorporated county, sets vacation rental units at "1 for each sleeping unit." A vacation rental unit is defined under WCC § 20.97.220 as a single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit rented as a single unit, for compensation, to lodge guests for less than 30 days when the owner is not present, and the same definition bars renting individual bedrooms separately, so the parking count runs against the unit's sleeping units, not against separately rented rooms.

Each required stall must meet the county's general dimensional standard of not less than nine feet in width and 18 feet in length under WCC § 20.80.510, and WCC § 20.80.525 requires parking for one- and two-family dwellings, which covers most vacation rentals, to be located on the same lot as the dwelling it serves, with no more than two spaces allowed in the front yard setback absent zoning administrator approval. Surfacing must meet the material standard the county engineer approves under § 20.80.520, and any lighting serving the parking area must be arranged to avoid spilling onto neighboring property under § 20.80.523.

Because this ratio sits inside the general parking schedule rather than a standalone short-term rental chapter, it applies on top of, not instead of, any separate land-use approval the county requires before a property can operate as a vacation rental.