Short-term rental rules in Seattle
Licence required. A yearly night limit is not stated on the official pages we read.
Rules covered: Short-Term Rental Regulatory License, Ordinance 125490 (Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 6.600); Land Use Code SMC 23.42.060. The table shows what the official pages state, with the wording and the date we read it. A row marked "Not stated" means the pages we read do not say; it does not mean there is no rule.
What the official pages state
| Rule | What the official page states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Permit or registration | Licence required Short-term rental regulatory (operator) license plus Seattle business license tax certificate; issued by the City (Finance and Administrative Services) Official wordingIf you operate short-term rentals (STRs) in Seattle, you must have both a business license tax certificate and a regulatory license for STRs. | www.seattle.gov read 2026-10-02 |
| Primary residence only | Other properties can also be hosted Up to two units: primary residence plus one secondary unit the operator owns Official wordingIf you have an operator's license, you may operate up to two dwelling units you own as short-term rentals. If you operate two dwelling units as STRs, one must be your primary residence. | www.seattle.gov read 2026-10-02 |
| Yearly night limit | Not stated Page states no annual night limit and does not say that none exists | — |
| Renting the whole home | Entire home allowed Entire dwelling unit or a portion may be rented Official wordingYou may rent out the entire dwelling unit or just a portion of it, such as a bedroom or an accessory apartment. | www.seattle.gov read 2026-10-02 |
| Lodging tax | Not stated Page refers to state rules (HB 2015) and says no separate city tax was imposed; no rate given | — |
| Number in listings | Number must appear in listings License number in format STR-OPLI-##-###### on every listing Official wordingShort-term Rental Operator Licenses issued by the City must be posted on every listing advertising or offering the short-term rental unit | www.seattle.gov read 2026-10-02 |
| Penalties | Included in the $29 city report. See the report | — |
| How to register | Included in the $29 city report. See the report | — |