Seattle, WA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Base unit cap
- 1 dwelling unit per operator license
- Cap with a primary residence
- 2 dwelling units
- Primary residence proof
- Driver's license, voter registration, vehicle registration
- One primary residence rule
- A person may have only one at a time
- First violation penalty
- $500 civil citation
Summary
A Seattle short-term rental operator license covers just one dwelling unit unless one of the units is the operator's own primary residence, in which case the cap rises to two. The primary-residence requirement is defined and enforced by SDCI under SMC 6.600.040.B.
A short-term rental operator license permits an operator to offer or provide a maximum of one dwelling unit, or portion thereof, for short term rental use, or a maximum of two dwelling units if one of the units is the operator's primary residence, except for the following:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
600, around a deliberate limit meant to keep whole housing units from converting permanently to vacation lodging. B, an operator license permits offering a maximum of one dwelling unit, or portion of one, for short-term rental use, unless one of the units being rented is the operator's primary residence, in which case the operator may license up to two dwelling units. 030 defines 'primary residence' precisely: a person's usual place of return for housing, documented by motor vehicle registration, driver's license, voter registration, or other evidence the Director accepts by rule, and a person may have only one primary residence at a time.
The rule is meant to distinguish a homeowner renting out a spare bedroom or a detached accessory unit on their own property from an investor buying up separate units purely to run as short-term rentals. 3 to keep operating more units, but new operators are held to the flat one-or-two cap. 3 makes misrepresenting that fact in a license application a separate violation.
Violations & Fines
Licensing or advertising more units than the primary-residence-based cap allows, or misrepresenting which unit is a primary residence, is a violation under SMC 6.600.120.A. SDCI's Director can issue a civil citation carrying a $500 penalty for a first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent violation within five years, appealable to the Hearing Examiner within 15 calendar days under SMC 6.600.120.B.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many short-term rentals can one person license in Seattle?
How does Seattle define 'primary residence' for STR purposes?
What happens if I claim a unit as my primary residence but it isn't?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
Compare Seattle to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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Primary-Residence-Only Rule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle primary-residence-only rule.