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City Watch

Short-term rental rules in Tacoma, WA

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

Painted city portrait of Tacoma, WA — the Chihuly Bridge of Glass & Union Station dome, informed by Stuart Davis.
Regulated · moderate intensityhigh confidence

Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.

  • STR-specific zoning use (TMC 13.06.080.M) plus annual business license required
  • Whole-home/absentee STR permitted by-right with license in all residential districts
  • Owner-occupancy required only for room or ADU rentals, not whole-home
  • Conditional Use Permit gate applies only to 3-9 guest-room operations in certain zones
  • No permit cap or quota on whole-home STR supply

Based on: TMC 13.06.080.M (Short-Term Rentals) & 13.06.080.A (STR in ADUs); business licensing TMC 6B.20; transient

Summary of the rule

To operate a short-term rental you must obtain a City of Tacoma Business License; a Transient Accommodation License is also required if renting three or more individual rooms.

View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified

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

Pending legislation

Monitoring Tacoma · 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.