City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Bellevue, WA
How Bellevue regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Whole-home / absentee STR foreclosed in single-family residential zones — an entire home (or home with an ADU) cannot be used for transient lodging citywide
- Transient lodging allowed only in a Planned Unit Development or multifamily unit, or as an owner-occupied host-present Bed & Breakfast (max two rooms) with a Home Occupation Permit
- 'Short Term Stay Use' narrowly defined in the Land Use Code (LUC 20.20.800)
Based on: Bellevue Land Use Code (LUC) §20.20.800, "Short term stay uses – Limitations and general requirements"
Summary of the rule
An entire single-family home or home with an ADU cannot be used for Transient Lodging, but individual rooms may be rented on a transient basis (less than 30 days). A Boarding House or Bed and Breakfast must be within an owner-occupied single-family home, accommodate a maximum of two (2) rooms for rental and a maximum of two (2) adults per room, and has been approved for a home occupation permit.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Bellevue · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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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.