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Bellingham, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Short-term rental permit rules in Bellingham, WA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.

Key Facts

Permit required
Yes, for every operator
Review type
Type I or Type II
Permits per operator
One maximum
Banned zones
Industrial, institutional, public, Basin One

Summary

Every short-term rental operator in Bellingham must obtain a city permit, reviewed as a Type I or Type II land use decision under BMC 20.10.037(C) and Chapter 21.10 BMC.

C. Process. Upon the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section, all short-term rental operators will be required to obtain a short-term rental permit. Short-term rental permit applications will be processed per the table below as a Type I or Type II permit in accordance with Chapter 21.10 BMC, Procedures and Administration.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-06-015, passed June 1, 2026).

Full Breakdown

BMC 20.10.037(C) requires all short-term rental operators to obtain a short-term rental permit, processed as a Type I or Type II decision under Chapter 21.10 BMC depending on bedroom count and whether the unit is in a residential, commercial or urban village area. Applicants must submit a local contact person's information, notify neighboring residents and owners for Type I permits, and limit ownership to one short-term rental permit per operator (BMC 20.10.037(D)(1)). Short-term rentals are barred outright in industrial, institutional and public zones, in Lake Whatcom's Basin One watershed, and in city-subsidized or multifamily-tax-exempt housing.

Violations & Fines

Operating a short-term rental without a permit, holding more than one STR permit per operator, or renting in a prohibited zone (industrial, Basin One watershed, subsidized housing) violates BMC 20.10.037 and can result in permit denial or revocation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Bellingham?
Yes. BMC 20.10.037(C) requires every short-term rental operator to obtain a city permit before renting, reviewed under Chapter 21.10 BMC's Type I or Type II process.
How many short-term rental permits can one person hold in Bellingham?
Just one. BMC 20.10.037(D)(1) limits each operator, family unit or business principal to a single short-term rental permit citywide.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bellingham

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All Bellingham rules

How Bellingham compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Bellingham to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview

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