King County itself imposes no primary-residence restriction on short-term rentals in unincorporated areas, but several cities within the county, most notably Seattle, limit operators to their primary dwelling plus at most one additional unit.
Seattle Municipal Code 6.600 caps STR operators at two units total: a primary residence and one secondary dwelling, each requiring a separate operator's license. Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland have studied similar caps but as of 2026 enforce only registration and lodging-tax collection. Unincorporated King County imposes no primary-residence test; rural cabins, ADUs, and second homes may all be listed. Hosts should verify city of jurisdiction before listing because city limits do not always track ZIP codes, and a Seattle mailing address may sit outside Seattle city limits.
Seattle operators exceeding two-unit cap face license revocation, daily fines, and platform takedown. Unincorporated hosts face no primary-residence penalty but must comply with state RCW 64.37 obligations.
Auburn, WA
Auburn applies WAC 173-60 EDNA limits through ACC 8.28. Residential: 55 dBA day, 45 dBA night. Industrial receiving: 60 dBA day, 50 dBA night. Measured at th...
Auburn, WA
Industrial sources into residential zones are capped at 60 dBA day and 50 dBA night under WAC 173-60 via ACC 8.28. The Boeing Auburn plant and Valley warehou...
Auburn, WA
Federal law preempts local aircraft noise. Auburn Municipal Airport follows FAA Part 150 and Sea-Tac overflights are under FAA and Port of Seattle. ACC 8.28 ...
Auburn, WA
Outdoor concerts and festivals must meet ACC 8.28 limits and often need a special event permit. Downtown Auburn and Les Gove Park events follow a written noi...
Auburn, WA
Auburn restricts RV, trailer, and boat parking on public streets to 72 hours and sets additional limits on driveway and front-yard storage of recreational ve...
Auburn, WA
EV charging in Auburn follows the Washington State Energy Code, which requires EV-ready capacity in new multifamily and commercial parking and protects publi...
See how Auburn's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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