Auburn, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Auburn, WA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- State registration
- WA DOR UBI required
- Local endorsement
- City of Auburn via UBI
- 24-hour contact
- RCW 64.37.050 required
- Posted notice
- Inside unit
- Renewal
- Annual
Summary
Auburn STR operators must obtain a City business license and comply with Washington RCW 64.37 requirements. Platforms verify compliance before listing goes live in many cases.
RCW 64.37.050 Liability insurance. A short-term rental operator must maintain primary liability insurance to cover the short-term rental dwelling unit in the aggregate of not less than one million dollars or conduct each short-term rental transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater primary liability insurance coverage. Nothing in this section prevents an operator or a platform from seeking contributions from any other insurer also providing primary liability insurance coverage for the short-term rental transaction to the extent of that insurer's primary liability coverage limits. [ 2019 c 346 s 5 .]
Full Breakdown
Registration for short-term rentals in Auburn occurs at multiple levels. First, the operator must obtain a Washington State Business License through the Department of Revenue (Unified Business Identifier or UBI) and add the City of Auburn as a local endorsement under ACC Title 5, paying the annual city license fee. Second, under RCW 64.37.050, operators must provide the hosting platform with a 24-hour contact name and phone number for complaints. Third, operators must post inside the rental a notice with evacuation information, operator contact, and emergency numbers. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo require hosts to attest to local licensing compliance before listings can accept bookings. Failure to register can result in city code enforcement action and platform delisting. Renewal is annual and should be tracked to avoid lapses that affect rental operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register my Auburn STR?
What happens if I skip registration?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
How Auburn compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Auburn to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle short-term rental permits.