City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Bellingham, WA
How Bellingham 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.
- In residential zoning districts, a short-term-rental dwelling unit must serve as the primary residence of the owner or a long-term renter (270-day lease) for at least 270 days/year, foreclosing non-owner-occupied whole-home STR in residential zones
- STRs prohibited outright in Lake Whatcom Watershed and shoreline jurisdiction areas
- Single-family zones additionally prohibit STR use of detached accessory dwelling units
- One STR per operator limit in residential zoning districts
Based on: BMC 20.10.037; adopted via Ordinance 2018-11-024 (effective 2019)
Summary of the rule
In Residential Zoning Districts, the dwelling unit hosting the short-term rental, including an accessory dwelling unit, must serve as the primary residence of the owner or long-term renter (with at least a 270-day lease) for at least 270 days per year; the unit may be rented as a short-term rental no more than 95 days per year.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Bellingham · system last checked Nov 9, 2026
Owners in Bellingham
Following Bellingham adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.
Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.
City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — 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.