Seattle, Washington Short Term Rental Laws

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Seattle, WA Short Term Rental Law Summary

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  • Short-term rental licenses must be posted on all listings advertising the rental unit
  • License number must be formatted as STR-OPLI-##-######
  • Licenses are valid for 12 months from the date of issue
  • Renewal reminders will be sent via email
  • Failure to maintain the required license may result in enforcement actions
  • To operate short-term rentals in Seattle, a business license tax certificate and a regulatory license for STRs are required
  • Determine if the property is subject to Seattle's Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance and register the property if necessary
  • Apply for an STR regulatory license through the Seattle Services Portal
  • The fee for an STR operator regulatory license is $75 per unit and must be renewed annually
  • The number of units that can be operated by a single operator is limited
  • Most operators can operate two units: their primary residence and a secondary unit
  • Rented rooms without kitchens and bathrooms do not count towards the unit limit
  • Special provisions apply for operators who were legally operating before Sept. 30, 2017
  • Documentation of use as a short-term rental may be required for legacy units
  • Different requirements apply for bed-and-breakfast operators and platforms (e.g., Airbnb or Vrbo)
  • Platforms have reporting requirements for licensed operators and booking data
  • Complaints or feedback regarding short-term rentals can be submitted through the City of Seattle's service request page.
Tracking Seattle, WA short term rental laws in the following zipcodes: 98109, 98108, 98104, 98107, 98106, 98101, 98103, 98102, 98105, 98154, 98122, 98121, 98126, 98125, 98178, 98174, 98177, 98144, 98146, 98195, 98199, 98118, 98119, 98116, 98117, 98115, 98112, 98164, 98134, 98136, 98133, 98111, 98113, 98114, 98124, 98127, 98129, 98139, 98141, 98145, 98161, 98165, 98170, 98175, 98181, 98185, 98191, 98194

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