Seattle, WA Short-Term Rental Checklist (Free, Printable)

📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Only in some areas
Do I need a permit?: Yes. You need a business license and a yearly STR operator license for each unit.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 15.7%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Get a Seattle business license tax certificate.
Register a non-primary unit with RRIO.
Apply for the STR operator license and post its number.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Running more than two units, which is mostly not allowed.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for Seattle. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them. The penalties Seattle lists are on the Seattle page.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

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Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Seattle. Cancel anytime.

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Permit / license / registration

Licenses: A Seattle business license tax certificate plus an annual STR operator license ($75 per unit).
RRIO: A dedicated unit that is not your primary residence must be registered under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance.
Listings: Post the license number (STR-OPLI-##-######) on every listing.
Not allowed: Renters (outside a downtown legacy exception), RVs, tents, boats, houseboats and some shoreline areas.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Limit: Most operators may run two units: their primary residence plus one more (legacy exceptions for pre-Sept 2017 operators).

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Penalties: $500 first violation, $1,000 after.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for Combined lodging tax (WA DOR, Seattle STR) (15.7%)
What Airbnb collects: Confirm in payouts that Airbnb collects Washington lodging and sales taxes; direct bookings you report to WA DOR.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 15.7%. 15.70% per WA Department of Revenue lodging rates (includes 7% convention center tax). No separate city STR tax. Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Is my Seattle rental legal? Checklist