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

Grant County Code Chapter 15.03 treats every transient residence, a single-family home rented out for stays under thirty days, as a hospitality commercial establishment under UDC 23.08.220, not an ordinary house. That commercial classification is why GCC 15.03.010(b) requires an operational permit from the Fire Marshal's Office, issued under the general operational-permit procedure in GCC 15.02.020, rather than letting the owner simply list the property. The permit is good for one year and must be renewed annually; renewal depends on completing a fire and life-safety inspection first, required within one year of the certificate of occupancy and every year after that under GCC 15.03.010(c).

Because the county treats the use as commercial, GCC 15.03.010(d) layers on safety conditions the operator must keep in place for as long as the rental runs: an automatic sprinkler system meeting International Fire Code 903.3 and the Washington amendments, liability insurance under RCW 64.37.050, hard-wired interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, at least one ADA-accessible parking space and approach, a 2-A:10-B:C rated fire extinguisher in every unit under NFPA 10, a posted fire evacuation plan with emergency numbers, unobstructed access, and posted premises identification, plus a monument directory where several rentals share a master planned resort or PUD entry.

Under GCC 15.02.020(d), the Fire Marshal can revoke the permit outright if an inspection or other review turns up a false statement or misrepresentation in the application or supporting plans.