Everett, WA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Everett, WA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- License required
- City business license, before operating
- Sites per operator
- Maximum of 2, citywide
- Guest cap
- 8 guests per site, ADU included
- Signage
- No identifying signs permitted
- Last amended
- Ord. 4156-26 § 19 (2026)
Summary
Everett Municipal Code 19.13.250 requires a city business license to operate a short-term rental, caps any one operator at two rental sites citywide, limits occupancy to eight guests per site, and bans signs identifying the use, as amended by Ordinance 4156-26 in 2026.
19.13.250 Short-term rentals. Short-term rentals shall comply with the following provisions: A. License Required. A city business license is required to operate a short-term rental. No more than two short-term rental sites may be operated by any individual, marital group, a group of people, or a corporate entity such as an LLC, within the city. B. Location. A short-term rental use may be located in a dwelling unit. C. Number of Guests. The total number of guests occupying a dwelling unit may not exceed eight on a site, including any site with an accessory dwelling unit. D. Signs. No signs identifying the use as a short-term rental are permitted.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
250(A) makes a city business license mandatory before anyone can operate a short-term rental in Everett, and it caps how many sites one operator can run: no more than two short-term rental sites may be operated by any individual, marital group, group of people, or corporate entity such as an LLC, within the city. That cap applies per operator citywide, not per zone or per property, so a single license holder cannot stack licenses across a third or fourth address. Subsection (B) allows a short-term rental use to be located in a dwelling unit, without carving out a separate zoning district for it.
Subsection (C) caps occupancy at eight total guests per site, and that cap applies even when the site includes an accessory dwelling unit, so an ADU cannot be used to push a property's combined guest count above eight. 13. The section was amended by Ordinance 4156-26, Section 19, in 2026, following an earlier 2025 codification under Ordinance 4102-25, so the two-site cap and eight-guest ceiling reflect current, recently updated law rather than an older draft of the rule.
Violations & Fines
Operating a short-term rental without the required city business license, exceeding the two-site cap per operator, exceeding the eight-guest occupancy limit, or posting an identifying sign are violations of EMC 19.13.250 enforced under Chapter 1.20 EMC. A code enforcement officer can issue a corrective notice and order; noncompliance past the deadline accrues a $250-per-violation, per-day civil penalty, rising to $500 per day for a repeat violator, and the city can also deny or condition the business license itself pending compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a short-term rental in Everett?
How many guests can stay at an Everett short-term rental?
Can I put up a sign advertising my short-term rental?
Can I operate more than two short-term rental properties in Everett?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
How Everett compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Everett 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 Snohomish County handle short-term rental permits.