A short term rental is a rental of all or a portion (e.g. bedroom, basement) of your residential dwelling unit for periods of less than 30 nights. This law became effective on June 17, 2015, allowing eligible permanent residents (owners and tenants) to apply for a short term rental license.
Applications can be submitted to the City of Spokane Development Services Center, located on the 3rd floor of City Hall. Short term rentals are required to complete the following (including but not limited to):
Before Application:
During or After Application:
There is a $150 fee due at the time of application, which does not include the fee of the Spokane Business license. Renewals will be accepted every December (regardless of when you originally applied in the year) for a fee of $100. If you wish to discontinue the operation of your short term rental, you will not need to take any action as the license will automatically close when a renewal fee isn't paid.
All short term rentals must maintain a guest log book. It must include the names and home addresses of guests, guest’s license plate numbers if traveling by car, dates of stay, and the room assigned to each guest. The log must be available for inspection by city staff upon request.
All advertised listings for the short term rental must include your short term license number.
The City of Spokane strongly recommends that you review your lease before submitting an application. Receiving a short term rental license does not override any lease agreements, homeowners association bylaws, Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R's), or any other agreement, law, or regulations that prohibit subletting or use of your residential structure as a short term rental.
If you have any further questions regarding short term rentals please contact the City of Spokane Development Services Center at 509.625.6300.
Planning & Development Services
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201-3329
509.625.6300