Thurston County, WA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Tax rate
- 2% of lodging charge
- Applies to
- Stays under one month
- Collected by
- WA Department of Revenue
- Max penalty
- 90 days jail / $1,000 fine
Summary
Unincorporated Thurston County levies a 2% excise tax on short-term lodging charges, including hotels, motels, tourist courts, and campgrounds.
there is hereby levied and there shall be collected an excise tax in the amount of two percent on the sale of or charge made for the furnishing of lodging by a hotel, rooming house, tourist court, campground, motel, trailer camp, and the granting of any similar license to use real property, as distinguished from the renting or leasing of real property; provided, that it shall be presumed that the occupancy of real property for a continuous period of one month or more constitutes a rental or lease
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 77).
Full Breakdown
County Code Chapter 5.70 imposes a 2% excise tax on the charge for furnishing lodging by a hotel, rooming house, tourist court, campground, motel, or trailer camp in unincorporated Thurston County, plus any similar license to use real property for stays under one month. Stays of one month or more are presumed a lease, not a taxable license to use. The state Department of Revenue collects the tax alongside state sales tax, and proceeds fund the county's stadium, convention and art center fund for tourism promotion and facility costs.
Violations & Fines
Failing to collect or remit the tax is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both, with each unpaid sale or charge counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Thurston County lodging tax apply to short-term rental hosts?
Is a long-term rental subject to this tax?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thurston County
How Thurston County compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Thurston County to another location·View the Washington short-term rentals overview
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