Short-term Rental Permits

The following is a summary of the short-term rental code(s); it is not intended to replace the city's municipal ordinance.

Short-term Rental Permits are mandatory for all short-term rental properties.

A short-term rental is any residential property or part of a property rented for 30 days or less. This includes homes or other units, such as a garage apartment or backyard cottage, listed for rent on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and similar websites.

Short-Term Rental Guidelines for Residential Zones

In compliance with residential zoning regulations, property owners within residential zones are permitted to operate a single short-term rental, regardless of the number of residential properties owned. To qualify for a short-term rental, property owners must provide documentation confirming that the residence is their primary home.

There are two categories of short-term rentals: Vacation Home Rental and Hosted Homeshare.

• A "Vacation Home Rental" refers to the short-term rental of an entire primary dwelling unit for a maximum of 150 days per year, excluding accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
• On the other hand, a "Hosted Homeshare" involves renting a portion of a dwelling or a separate ADU on the property, where the licensee must be present during rental periods. There are no restrictions on the maximum number of days per year for "Hosted Homeshare" units.

The total number of short-term rentals allowed within residential zones in White Salmon is capped at 10% of the total recorded units by the Washington State Office of Financial Management. As of now, this equates to 122 short-term rentals based on the current count of 1,214 housing units and slots are available.

Short-term Rentals in Commercial Zones

There is no restriction on the number of short-term rentals a property owner can operate within a commercial zone. However, a limitation is imposed on the number of short-term rentals per parcel; specifically, no more than 30% of the residential units on a given parcel in a commercial zone may be allocated for short-term rentals. Additionally, there is no prescribed cap on the maximum number of nights per year that a short-term rental unit can be rented within a commercial zone.

To operate a short-term rental, property owners are required to secure both a mandatory land use permit and a short-term rental permit. Interested property owners must complete a comprehensive Short-Term Rental Permit Application, including all necessary supporting documents, and submit the application to the City for consideration.

Fees Associated with Short-term Rentals

• $175.00 Permit Fee, per Rental
• $75.00 Land Use Permit Fee
• $75.00 Application fee, per Application (Note: a single application within a commercial zone may include multiple short-term rentals)

2024 Renewal Fee for Short-term Rental

• $175.00 Permit Fee, per Rental

White Salmon Rental Business License

• The City requires that homeowners who rent out their property, short-term or long-term, obtain a city business license, facilitated through the Washington Department of Revenue Business Licensing Service at https://dor.wa.gov. Business licenses are $75.00 for the initial license and $50.00 for each renewal. Note that short-term rentals require charging a sales tax of 7.5% per rental.

If you have any questions regarding short-term rentals, please contact Erika Castro Guzman, Community Development/Special Project Coordinator at 509-493-1133 #209 or Erikac@ci.white-salmon.wa.us.