Skip to content
ASTRO
Continue with email

City Watch

Short-term rental rules in Ocean Shores, WA

How Ocean Shores regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.

Painted city portrait of Ocean Shores, WA — Ocean Shores Beach and the North Jetty, informed by German Expressionism.
Highly Restrictivehigh confidence

Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.

  • STR permitted only in B1 and B2 commercial zones
  • STR excluded from all residential zones (R-1 through R-9)
  • Properties outside B1/B2 cannot even use the appeals process
  • Annual STR permit plus city business license required, nontransferable
  • Mandatory building/fire inspection; annual renewal; liability insurance
  • One STR per legal parcel (except condominium dwellings)
  • Civil penalties up to $500/day; repeat violations Class B offense

Based on: OSMC Chapter 17.49 (Short-Term Rentals), enacted by Ordinance No. 1148, passed and adopted October 14, 2025, effective

Summary of the rule

A Short-Term Rental is permitted only in B1 and B2 zones.

View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified

Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error

Pending legislation

Monitoring Ocean Shores · system last checked Oct 24, 2026

Owners in Ocean Shores

Following Ocean Shores adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.

Claim or verify a property

Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.

See properties in Ocean Shores →

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.