City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Port Townsend, WA
How Port Townsend 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.
- primary-residence-of-owner required for all short-term rentals
- owner-occupied host-present only (owner on site during rental activity)
- no whole-home / absentee STR category permitted anywhere in the city
- discretionary conditional use permit required (Hearing Examiner for major CUP)
Based on: PTMC Chapter 17.57 (Bed and Breakfast Inns and Tourist Homes) + PTMC 17.08 definitions; Ordinance 3172, adopted
Summary of the rule
“Bed and Breakfast Inn” means a short-term rental with a central kitchen which provides the primary residence for the owner or operator and which offers guest rooms for travelers and transient guests for compensation.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 17, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Port Townsend · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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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.