STR rules · verified 1mo ago
Short-term rental rules in White Salmon, WA
The City of White Salmon (Klickitat County, Columbia Gorge north side opposite Hood River OR) regulates short-term rentals through White Salmon Municipal Code Chapter 5.02, last substantially amended by Ordinance 2022-02-1093. The code splits STRs into two categories: (a) Vacation Home Rental — short-term rental of an entire primary dwelling unit, capped at 150 days per year, not allowed in ADUs; and (b) Hosted Homeshare — short-term rental of a portion of a dwelling or attached/detached ADU where the licensee is present during rental periods. Each owner is limited to one STR regardless of how many residential properties owned. The city caps total residential-zone STRs at 10% of total housing units (currently approximately 122 units based on 1,214 housing units). Initial business license endorsement fee is $75; annual renewal $50. STRs are subject to a 7.5% sales tax (state + local) on rentals. A land use permit accompanies the STR permit application. Primary residence documentation required.
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 White Salmon, WA?
White Salmon is currently permitted for short-term rentals. Active permits with clear rules and no recent ordinance tightening — stable for new STR investment. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in White Salmon?
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 White Salmon (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://www.whitesalmonwa.gov/planning/page/short-term-rental-permits.
What happens if I rent without a permit in White Salmon?
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 White Salmon.
How current is this data for White Salmon?
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 White Salmon 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.