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.
Redmond, WA
Redmond does not ban gas leaf blowers, but restricts their use to daytime hours under RMC 6.32. Residential yard equipment is permitted between 7 AM and 10 P...
Redmond, WA
Industrial-source noise received in Redmond residential areas may not exceed 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime under RMC 6.32 and WAC 173-60. Overlake and ...
Redmond, WA
Redmond generally allows overnight residential street parking within the 72-hour continuous-parking limit. Downtown time zones, snow events, and posted no-pa...
Redmond, WA
Redmond restricts on-street RV and boat parking to 72 hours and regulates driveway storage under RMC Title 21. Many zones limit the number of recreational ve...
Redmond, WA
Redmond regulates driveway width, surfacing, and apron construction under RMC Title 21 and Public Works standards. Residential driveways are typically 10-24 ...
Redmond, WA
Standard residential fences up to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards do not require a building permit in Redmond. Permits are needed for...
See how Redmond's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.