City Watch — Whitefish
Pending STR legislation and regulatory rating tracking for Whitefish.
City portrait · J. Hamilton Studio
- residential-zone exclusion: STRs permitted only in resort zones WB-3/WRR-1/WRR-2/WRB-1/WRB-2
- STR permit required with annual fire-marshal inspection
- no citywide numeric cap
- municipal resort tax reaching STR stays
Based on: Whitefish City Code Title 11 (Zoning) §11-3-35 Short-Term Rental Standards; STR permit + business registration per city
“WCC §11-3-35 (codified, verbatim): 'Certain zoning districts such as the WB-3, Resort Residential and Resort Business Districts permit paid short term residential rental accommodation within a legal residential unit. These standards do not apply to bed and breakfasts, hostels, hotels or motels. Short-term rentals are not compatible with other residential areas as there are potential traffic and noise impacts, as well as the diminished availability of long term rental and affordable housing units.' Violations subsection: 'Operating a short term rental outside of an allowed district ... is a violation of this Code and shall be deemed a misdemeanor.' STRs allowed in applicable districts only if the owner holds a valid STR registration + City business license, conforms to land use provisions, does not exceed dwelling-unit density, meets off-street parking (Ch. 6), is Fire-Marshal-inspected on application and annually, and remits Resort Tax (Title 3 Ch. 3). No owner-occupancy requirement and no numeric cap appear in §11-3-35.”— Whitefish City Code Title 11 (Zoning) §11-3-35 Short-Term Rental Standards; STR permit + business registration per city
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 21, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Whitefish · system last checked Sep 21, 2026
City Watch tracks changes from public sources (council agendas, state bills, local news) as coverage is activated for this market — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.