City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Coupeville, WA
How Coupeville 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.
- Residential-zone exclusion: STRs a principal use only in commercial zones (HCC, TC, GC)
- STRs prohibited in residential zones except pre-Dec-1-2019 nonconforming uses
- grandfathered residential STRs lapse if discontinued one year or abandoned
- annual STR license required (CTC Ch. 5.38 and 16.10.110)
Based on: Coupeville Town Code (CTC) 16.10.080 (Short-term rentals) + Ch. 16.08 zone use tables + CTC 5.38 (STR licensing)
Summary of the rule
Verbatim, current codified CTC §16.10.110 (Transient accommodation), flagged 'new', enacted by Ord. No. 801, §1(Exh. A), 5-27-2025, APR 1 2026 version at Municode: "C. Short-term Rentals. Short-term rentals are principal uses within all commercial zoning districts (HCC, TC and GC). Where allowed, the following supplemental standards shall apply: ... 2. Short-term rentals that were legally established prior to December 1, 2019, in any residential zone may continue as nonconforming uses, subject to all other applicable requirements, until the short-term rental use is determined discontinued for a period of one year or abandoned." (Residential-zone exclusion: whole-home STR is a principal use ONLY in the three commercial zones; in residential zones it survives only as a pre-Dec-1-2019 nonconforming use that lapses on one-year discontinuance.)
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 17, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Coupeville · 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.