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.
Kirkland, WA
Leaf blowers and power equipment are restricted to 8 AM to 8 PM weekdays and 9 AM to 6 PM on weekends and holidays under KMC 11.84A. Kirkland has not adopted...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland sits about 20 miles north of Sea-Tac and is lightly affected by commercial flights. Kenmore Air seaplanes and Renton Municipal general aviation caus...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland does not impose a citywide overnight parking ban, but enforces the 72-hour rule, signed residential permit zones, and no-parking signs at parks, tra...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland driveways must remain paved, accessible, and used for vehicle parking per KMC Title 115 zoning code, which limits front-yard paving and requires app...
Kirkland, WA
EV charging in Kirkland follows the Washington State Energy Code, which requires EV-ready capacity in new multifamily and commercial parking and protects pub...
Kirkland, WA
Under KZC 115.40, Kirkland fences may be up to 6 feet except within 15 feet of a street curb. Properties on a neighborhood access or collector street are cap...
See how Kirkland's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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