STR 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 rentals are allowed in the R1, R2, R3, and RL residential zones and within commercial zones. Permits are required for all short-term rentals.

Short-term Rentals in Residential Zones

• A property owner in a residential zone can only have one short-term rental regardless of how many residential properties are owned.
• A short-term rental must either be a “vacation home rental” or a “hosted homeshare.” The property owner must provide documentation that the home is the property owner’s primary residence.
• “Vacation Home Rental” is the short-term rental of an entire primary dwelling unit for a maximum of 150 days per year. This does not include accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
• “Hosted Homeshare” is the short-term rental of a portion of a dwelling or an attached or detached separate accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on the property of the licensee’s primary address, where the licensee is present during rental periods. There is no limitation on the maximum number of days per year the unit can be rented.
• The total number of short-term rentals within the residential zones in White Salmon is limited to 10% of the total number of units recorded by the Washington State Office of Financial Management. Currently that number is 122 short-term rentals (based on 1214 housing units).
• A land use permit is also required to obtain a short-term rental permit.
• You must submit a Short-term Rental Permit Application to the City. This application will be used for both the land use permit and the short-term rental permitting processes.

Short-term Rentals in Commercial Zones

• There is no limit as to how many short-term rentals a property owner may have in a commercial zone.
• There is a limit of short-term rentals per parcel, i.e. no more than 30% of the residential units on a given parcel in a commercial zone may be used for short-term rentals.
• There is no limitation on the maximum number of nights per year an STR unit can be rented in a commercial zone.
• You must submit a Short-term Rental Application to the City.

Fees Associated with Short-term Rentals

• $75.00 application fee per short-term rental application (a single application may contain multiple short-term rentals if within a commercial zone)
• $175.00 permit fee per short-term rental
• $75.00 land use permit fee

2023 Renewal Fee for Short-term Rental

• $175.00 permit fee per short-term rental

The City of White Salmon also requires that homeowners who rent out their property, short-term or long-term, obtain a city business license. To obtain a city business license, you must also be registered with the State of Washington and have a UBI# (Unified Business Identification Number). Once you have obtained a UBI#, you can obtain a city business license through the Washington Department of Revenue. To obtain a UBI# and/or a city business license, go to the Washington Department of Revenue website: www.dor.wa.gov. Business licenses are $75.00 for the initial license and $50.00 for each renewal (annually).

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.