City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Redmond, WA
How Redmond regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- Whole-home STR — including non-owner-occupied / absentee — is licensable by-right with a City of Redmond business license per unit (RMC 5.04)
- No primary-residence requirement, host-present mandate, or citywide cap
- No residential-zone STR exclusion or conditional-use device (RZC 21.04.0100 use table has no STR row)
Based on: RMC 5.04 (General Business Regulations) — Short-Term Rental license provisions, effective January 1, 2026; RMC 5.04.130
Summary of the rule
All short-term rental operators must obtain both a Washington State business license and a City of Redmond business license/endorsement. One license per operator covers all units in a multifamily/mixed-use development; an operator with individually-addressed (e.g. single-family) units must obtain one license per unit. Annual fee $153, effective January 1, 2026.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 16, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Redmond · 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.