STR rules · verified 1mo ago
Short-term rental rules in King, WA
King County (Washington) has NO unincorporated-county STR ordinance as of 2025. Short-term rental regulation in unincorporated King County defaults to (a) the underlying King County Code Title 21A zoning, which does not list 'short-term rental' as a permitted use in most rural and agricultural zones, and (b) Washington state law RCW 64.37, which sets the floor: $1 million liability insurance per operator (or platform-provided equivalent), carbon-monoxide alarms, posted safety information, and remittance of all applicable state/local lodging taxes. The vast majority of King County STR activity is inside incorporated cities (Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Renton, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way, Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila, Mercer Island, Shoreline, Bothell, Woodinville, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Carnation, Duvall, Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Covington, Newcastle, Enumclaw, Pacific, Algona, Hunts Point, Yarrow Point, Beaux Arts Village, Clyde Hill, Medina, Skykomish, Milton, Lake Forest Park) — each city runs its own regime. Seattle is by far the most regulated (SMC 6.600, 2-unit cap, primary-residence rule).
What's behind the sign-in
- Registration fees — initial + annual renewal cost, per permit type
- Permit caps + waitlists — exact cap values, current waitlist counts
- Owner-occupancy rules — days/year requirement, permit-class splits
- Zoning carve-outs — which districts allow / disallow STR
- Tax stack — TOT, hotel, county + state layers
- Stay limits — min/max nightly, max nights/year
- Operational requirements — parking, insurance, fire inspection, neighbor notice
- Penalties — per-night fines, revocation thresholds
- City-specific gotchas — HOA carve-outs, pending legislation, recent court rulings
- Refresh on demand — re-run the agentic pipeline against the city's current ordinance
Frequently asked
Are short-term rentals legal in King, WA?
King is currently unknown for short-term rentals. We couldn't extract a clear status from the city's published ordinance — most often because the city has no STR-specific rules and state defaults apply. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in King?
Almost certainly yes — almost every U.S. city now requires a short-term rental permit, vacation rental permit, or transient lodging permit before you can legally list. The specifics for King (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.37&full=true.
What happens if I rent without a permit in King?
Most cities charge per-night fines (a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per violation), escalating to cease-and-desist letters and platform delisting on repeat. Airbnb and Vrbo now share permit-validation feeds with most major cities, so unpermitted listings get blocked at the platform level. Sign in to see the specific penalty schedule for King.
How current is this data for King?
This record was verified 1mo ago against the city's published ordinance (.gov or the city's official municipal-code publisher). Cached cities re-verify on a cadence — daily for cities under active legislation, weekly otherwise. Signed-in users can hit Refresh on any city to force a fresh pull. If you're underwriting a deal, always confirm against the city's code-enforcement office before closing.
Can my HOA or condo association ban STRs even if King allows them?
Yes. City permits authorize you under municipal law, but your HOA, condo association, or co-op board sets contractual rules that override the city for your unit. Many HOAs adopted blanket STR bans between 2018 and 2024 in response to neighbor complaints. Read the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rental addendums before you buy with an STR plan — the city saying yes does not mean your building says yes.